Marvolo Mortimer: Rise of the Dark Prince
by briannabermudez
Summary: Harry Potter is dumped in an orphanage after the sudden death of his mother, Cassiopeia Black. When fate brings him into the custody of Death Eaters, he becomes the heir of Lord Voldemort and fulfils his destiny as Marvolo Mortimer, the Dark Prince.
1. Orphan

***I do NOT own Harry Potter***

**WARNING: DARK HARRY FIC! Written in DEATH EATER POV ! **

* * *

><p>Harry sat on his small firm mattress staring out at the gloomy weather that seemed to have matched his mood as of the late. His mother had died a month prior and as a result he'd been dumped at St. Mary's House, a Muggle orphanage in Surrey. He'd spend the majority of his time cooped in his room staring at his mother's portrait reflecting back on the memories they had shared. Tears fell from his misty grey eyes.<p>

With the (temporary) fall of the Dark Lord at the hands of Albus Dumbledore, the relatives he did have were either dead, fugitives on the run, or imprisoned. But that didn't mean he gave up on the possibility of a father out there ready to claim him.

True he had never met his father but he was aware of his existence. "James Potter, the lowly blood traitor Auror," mother called him. Regardless of his mother's harsh feelings for him, Harry still craved a father figure whom he could get into tons of mischief with. 'My father will come,' Harry told himself.

And he waited for him…days, weeks, months, and years. But his father never came.

* * *

><p><strong>TWO YEARS LATER<strong>

Harry had long given up for the return of his father. He had spent 2 years at St Mary's House and James Potter had yet to even contact him. The reality was hard to swallow: James Potter had a new wife, Lily Evans, and together they had spawned twins, one of which was Mason Potter, the prophesized child, the 'Chosen One' destined to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort once and for all and spare the Wizarding world from eternity under Death Eater terrorism.

In short, Harry wasn't all that important and didn't fit James Potter's ideal family.

Inside, Harry felt anger and also hurt. He developed a hatred for the father that didn't want him and the _mudblood_ that took his heart. He was left behind in the empty world and they didn't even care in the slightest – they went about their lives and swept him under the carpet like a dirty little secret. It made his blood boil.

All he felt was utter misery at St. Mary's House. He loathed the other children and the nuns; they weren't like him. Just Muggles. They didn't understand him. However there were benefits. He enjoyed exploring the forest that wasn't far away from the orphanage. It was the same forest he met Isis, his speaking Taipan (humans can speak snake language, why can't snakes speak human languages?). Odd as it may sound, Isis was the only one keeping him sane in this prison. She was the only friend he had, the only one to talk to.

He'd also learn how to control his magic by mastering the concepts of concentration and cleansing the mind. He often manipulated his powers and used them against the defenseless Muggles who dared cross his path. Benny and Roger, his ex-bullies, scampered elsewhere whenever Harry entered the room and avoided his piercing grey eyes as if their lives depended on it.

The nuns and orphans alike were terrified of Harry. Very strange incidents occurred and he was always in the middle of them. Their fear fed Harry's determination to become a very powerful wizard someday.

And speaking of the Wizarding world, Harry desperately wished to return. The Muggle world as he knew it was dull and held little hope for his future.

It was a Sunday evening Harry packed his Mum's portrait and his teddy into his bag and alerted Isis of his plan.

"And to what do I owe your banter?" Isis flicked out her tongue lazily.

"I'm escaping," Harry told her, "I'm going back to the Wizarding world!"

"About time," Isis hissed, "And how are you going to pull this off?"

"I didn't say I was in this alone," Harry winked at the lazy Taipan.

Harry left his room and looked cautiously down the hall. Coast was clear. He went down stairs and peaked at the foyer. Four nuns were up and alert ready to tell off any orphan and send them off to bed. Harry smirked and gave Isis another wink.

"This is where you come in my friend," he whispered as the snake slithered off his shoulders and into the plaza.

Isis hissed menacingly at the nuns, who in return, panicked and caused uproar.

"SNAKE!" The nuns ran out of the foyer to alert the guards; Harry took this opportunity to escape.

He scooped up Isis and bolted out of the building. He heard the guards booming voices shout after him, a few of them even chased him down; Harry vowed never to go back to that prison cell, so he pushed his legs as fast as they could go. He concentrated so hard on getting away from the guards he didn't even realize his surroundings. He was deep in the forest, blocks away from St Mary's House, only noticing this setting until he heard distant voices and footsteps.

He held his breath and clutched Isis and his bag tightly to his chest. About six masked figures being led by a tall darkly clothed … 'man' with blood red eyes came into view. Harry froze in shock as the group approached towards him.

"YOU! BOY! What brings you?" demanded one of the masked men. Harry was too stunned to answer.

"ARE YOU DEAF BOY?"

"I'm trying to leave…." Harry said with more confidence than he had felt.

"_Leave where_?" the man hissed.

Harry pointed in the direction towards the orphanage.

"Ah the orphanage," he replied silkily, "What a coincidence, our exact destination that we were heading for tonight," he chuckled and the rest of the group joined in except for the man or creature with the red eyes. The extremely tall man came closer to Harry so they were inches apart. A spidery hand reached his face ever so lightly.

"Such a handsome boy…" he said in a cold raspy voice. Cruel laughter escaped his lips as he raised his wand and aimed it at the boy's face.

Harry's eyes widened in horror as he stumbled backwards and tripped over a branch. As the man began the incantation, something … _odd_ happened, which had all the masked members, even their leader, stunned. It was as if the boy had … _evaporated_.

Harry felt his body become weightless and as he looked down to examine what had brought this occurrence, he seen that his body had completely disappeared…it was as if he were traveling with the wind. When he tried to get a better look, unfortunately, his body had materialized once more, and he fell to the ground with a large thud, his bag severed, and Isis hissing like mad.

* * *

><p><strong><em>* This is my very first story so please be supportive! :) Tell me what you like, dislike about my story and help me improve and grow as an author! Your suggestions will definitely go into consideration. Thank You! *<em>**

**Ch.2 Rescue:** _Harry's identity acknowledge by Death Eaters; Cassiopeia Black: Who is she?; Bellatrix and the Lestranges introduced; FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! _


	2. Rescue

The Death Eaters gaped at the boy's unconscious body that lay before them. What power did this boy possess to escape his fate? How had he escaped the Dark Lord?

"D'you think he apparated?"

"Don't be ridiculous Rowle, the boy is what – 5?"

"Must be a Mudblood," another Death Eater noted, "Lives at that Muggle orphanage doesn't he?"

"A shadow mage…," whispered Voldemort in amusement. The Death Eaters fell silent, leaving their Lord in deep thought until another interrupted.

"Shadow mage my Lord?" he asked uncertainly, "B-but that's impossible! There hasn't been a shadow mage in the past couple of centuries – "

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort hissed. The man writhed in pain and cried out in agony until the Dark Lord cancelled the curse. "You _dare_ question my knowledge Nott?"

"No – no my Lord – never I – "

"_Silence_!" Voldemort bit out venomously while turning to the female Death Eater on his heels. "Bella, check the boy!"

"Yes Master," she bowed and ran towards the boy. Before she could check his condition, a mad snake hissing furiously slithered from out of the boy's robes and faced Bella, baring her large fangs, venom pouring from them.

"How dare you come to attack my Master in his poor state? Be gone stupid human!

"You filthy little – "Bellatrix raised her wand, the cutting curse on her tongue, when the Taipan mysteriously made itself invisible.

"Make one more step and I'll bite your face off!" the invisible Taipan threatened.

Bellatrix secretly began to panic, a habit she'd thought she left behind in childhood, but thankfully, her Master came to her rescue.

"I don't think that will be necesssssary," Voldemort hissed in parseltongue.

"A spppeaker…," the jet black Taipan reappeared and slithered its way towards the Dark Lord, flicking her tongue at his hand.

The Dark Lord's interaction with snakes left Bellatrix (as well as the other Death Eaters) unnerved, however, she continued forward to the boy. His messy black hair vaguely reminded her of James Potter, but the thickly lidded eyes that reminded her so much of herself and her sisters had bemused her even more so.

She turned to inspect his belongings, a bag, a teddy, and a portrait. She picked up the portrait with trembling hands and gasped in shock.

"What is it now Bella?" her husband, Rodolphus, asked impatiently.

"This is Cassi's son!"

The Death Eater gasped at the revelation. Rodolphus stared down at the boy's unconscious body, a twinge of guilt seared through him.

Bellatrix was beside herself, sending angry red sparks from her wand. How could her nephew be left in a Muggle orphanage? Of all places! The Death Eaters took a step back. An angry Bella wasn't pretty.

"What the hell is the boy doing in a Muggle orphanage?" Rodolphus's younger brother, Rabastan, exclaimed. "Why didn't Potter take the boy in?"

"Something I'd like to know," Rodolphus grumbled.

"Potter prefers the filthy little half-blood mongrels over my pure-blood nephew!" Bellatrix screamed.

"Think of it this way Bella," the proud Lord of the influential Malfoy Clan, Lucius Malfoy, interrupted, "Is it any better the boy being brought up by Potter who would undoubtedly raise him up to be a mere pawn for the light and fight against our cause?"

All of the Death Eaters nodded in agreement, save Bellatrix, who glared daggers at Lucius but even she knew deep down that he was right no matter how much she loathed the snob.

"M-my Lord," Rodolphus stammered "What shall we do with the boy?"

Voldemort, who had been silent during the entire ordeal, had been in deep thought; the boy had possessed a gift that not even he was blessed with – the power of wind traveling. A shadow mage, perhaps the last in the past thousand years, on the Dark side would prove useful in the future. And he had a soft spot for the boy. He too, had been in the same situation; experiencing a mother's death, waiting for a father who didn't want him…

"Take the boy to the Manor Bella," he spoke at last, "I have plans for him…" A cruel smile crept upon his face.

* * *

><p>"Longbottom, Vance, you go North, Black and Potter, South, and Shacklebolt and I got East!" famous Auror, Mad Eye Moody, barked out orders. "Save as many innocents and catch as many of those rotten Death Eaters as you can! Spread out men!"<p>

Even with the weakened state of Lord Voldemort, the remaining Death Eaters still managed to make the Auror's office busier than necessary.

"Think I'll catch my cousin tonight, Prongs?" Sirius asked hopefully in reference of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Don't count on it Padfoot," James answered solemnly. "If there's one thing that woman can do, it's get her way out of our clutches. I don't know why we even bother with that one."

"I'll get her," Sirius vowed to himself. James rolled his eyes.

As the two best buds inspected the scene of the crime, they found themselves astonished by the startling ravished building that was slowly dismantling. The fierce flames of fire devoured the building from inside out, making it nearly impossible for those inside to escape undamaged. Using Muggle tactics anyway.

"Are you two mad?" a portly Muggle firemen shouted after them. "You can't be here! This area is forbidden! If you've got no permit or badge, you've got no business here!"

"Hmmmmm," Sirius mocked confusion, "About that…" He took out his wand and displayed his power carelessly in only a fashion Sirius could pull off. The Muggle watched on bewilderedly.

"What the –"Before the Muggle got a complete sentence out; James had put a Memory charm on him and sent him on his way. He smirked at his friend.

"Now was that really necessary Padfoot?"

"Damn straight!" Sirius proclaimed proudly. "Only a Marauder!"

"Only a Marauder!" James repeated as he joined his friend's attempt to manage and the control the ferocious flames. The job was thick; however the progress was worth the hard work.

As the pair continued to stroke the steamy fires, more trouble had out broke.

"I'm hit!" Frank Longbottom lay sprawled on the ground with deep cut wounds to the chest when a small mob of Death Eaters descended upon the crowd.

Cries and screams filled the air; the mood changed from apprehension to panic-stricken. Usually the Death Eaters would've found great delight toying with the defenseless horrified Muggles, preying on their fright like a Lion to an innocent doe, but luckily for the Muggles, the Death Eaters had bigger fish to fry.

Two masculine Death Eaters, who the pair of Marauders immediately recognized as the Lestrange brothers, fought their way through the crowd of Muggles just to make their attack. The taller of the two Death Eaters, Rodolphus, sent a bone shattering curse aimed directly at Sirius's face.

"_Protego_!" The latter conjured a mighty strong silvery shield to protect him and glared daggers at the notorious Death Eater (who also happened to be his infamous cousin's husband).

It was on.

The Marauders had realized quickly into the battle that they had met their match; the Lestranges were quick, and just as strong as they were. Not to mention their incredible talents in the Dark Arts. Their stunners were only met by a pelt of lethal Dark curses from their vicious but fierce opponents.

"_Flagrante_!" Rabastan easily blocked Sirius's banishing charm and sent his own flesh-eating curse at the dark haired man.

Unfortunately for Sirius, the powerful curse shattered his silvery shield and his skin came into contact with the ferocious flames of death.

"SIRIUS!" James screamed as he watched his friend cry in agony as the flames devoured his flesh. Oblivious to the Death Eater's chuckles, he didn't realize until it was too late to react the Cruciatus curse that was coming his way.

He too, collapsed to the ground as he felt the wrath of the burning knives stabbing and searing through his skin. The excruciating torture that was the Cruciatus curse came to an end but the pain was still there. James vaguely witnessed as the Lestrange brothers apparated into the midnight sky before everything went black. And it was over.

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>DAILY PROPHET:<span>_**

**_DEATH EATERS STILL ACTIVE: ATTACK IN MUGGLE ORPHANAGE_**

_With the weakened state of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, one would think the immobilization of the Death Eaters would be in order. But according to our sources in the Auror offices, not quite. _

_Allegedly six fugitive Death Eaters struck a Muggle orphanage on Sunday evening, leaving it severely damaged and dismantled. The Auror team quickly responded to the attack, managing to dispel the sizeable firestorm rescuing most of the Muggle children trapped in the building, and capturing two Death Eaters and bringing them to justice. _

_We are told that James Potter, Head of the Potter family and father of the prophesized child, Mason Potter, and fellow Aurors Sirius Black and Frank Longbottom suffered injuries but fortunately remain in stable condition. _

_While Death Eaters may still reside among us, it is comforting to know there are still many more heroes to depend on. _

_**SURREY LEADER:**_

_**The Miracle at St. Mary's House**_

_It was a Sunday evening when local Surrey orphanage, St. Mary's House, caught flames of the most unusual sort. Firemen rushed to the scene to put out the mysterious firestorm and save as many innocents as possible. "It was almost impossible to put out the fire at first!" explains John Baker, one of the many firemen on the scene, "It was ironic. It seemed as if the more pressure we put into dispelling the fire, the larger it became." _

_But suddenly things started to turn around. Not only were the firemen able to put out the fire, most of the lives of the orphan children were saved as well, though there are many casualties and many still remain missing. _

_Sources tell us the fire broke out around 9 PM and was put out around midnight. The cause of the sudden fire outbreak remains unclear and a mystery. "Never seen anything like it!" exclaims Robert Doughry, one of the surviving heroic firemen on the scene. "It was almost like magic."_

_While_ _many have expressed feeling the presence of magic, others felt the presence of an even higher source. "While the orphanage is temporarily being rebuilt, the important thing is that we are safe because the Lord watches out for us and keeps his children away from harm," says Catherine Staub, a nun at St. Mary's House. _

_Construction on St. Mary's House and awards for the courageous and heroic firemen is in order._

* * *

><p><em>Second chapter is up :D <em>

_This chapter was a *****! I spent all last night and this afternoon adding the James/Sirius/Order POV and the duel scene w/ the Lestranges. It's odd because I thought this chapter was going to be kind of boring and lame but all of a sudden I had an epiphany, I had inspiration to add a 2nd plot just to make this an action packed chapter, see where James and the Order is at and make it more interesting! I hope you like this chapter, please review and tell me what you like/dislike, I loveee the feedback :D ! _

**Ch3:**_  
><em>


	3. Meeting with the Dark Lord

_Previously_...**Rescue:** _Harry's identity is discovered by Death Eaters and his special talents are brought to light. Death Eaters destroys St. Mary's House and the Order meets their match._

* * *

><p>The next time Harry opened his eyes, he was relieved to see that he wasn't in the dull cell that was his orphanage. Instead, he was in a large circular room draped in dark colors. He was lying in a huge dark green four poster bed that was perfectly comfortable and he wondered who was generous enough to give him a room.<p>

He found his answer when Isis slithered into view with a piece of parchment in her mouth.

"Where have you been?" Harry asked.

"Hunting with an old friend of mine," she hissed.

"You have friends besides me?"

Isis gave him something equivalent to a glare.

"Nagini…I haven't seen her in decades…" she reminisced.

Harry sent his snake a curious look.

"Exactly _how_ old are you?"

"It matters not," Isis hissed sharply dropping the note in his and slithering out of sight.

Harry opened it and read:

_ Meet me in the Library at 8:00 AM. Do NOT be late. _

Looking at the time, it was 7:49. He had exactly 11 minutes to meet this stranger…he freshened up and put on the robes that lay nearly on his bed. He exited the room and entered the hallway. Like his suite, the rest of the Manor had a dark eerie feel to it. Portraits of pristine monarchs from only the most noble and purest Wizarding families were draped over the walls; their faces shown a mask of arrogance and their beady eyes traced his every movement like a hawk. It was unnerving to say the least.

He finally reached his destination; the massive library that was at least twice as large as the library in St. Mary's House with the oversized oak door entrance. But what Harry found most attracting was the everlasting variety. The library showcased everything from Shakespeare to the philosophy of Modern day Wizardry.

Harry settled on the Quidditch section and began reading Modern Quidditch, the latest up-to-date Quidditch catologue. Two years may not seem long, but the newer model brooms had intrigued him greatly and seeing the moving captions of the new _au courant_ models had made him feel a deep sense of nostalgia that he had not felt in some time.

Quidditch used to be his all-time favorite sport; his Mummy bought him a toy broom on his 2nd birthday and he'd spent his entire afternoons every day dedicating his self to the sport he loved until the day she had died…

Harry struggled to shake the memories out of his head and directed his focus back on the magazine. He became so engrossed by the Quidditch stats and the new model brooms that he didn't even notice the darkly clothed figure staring curiously upon him.

"I see you've made yourself acquainted," purred a silky voice.

Harry suppressed a gasp as he dropped the catalogue in his and locked eyes with the blood red eyed man. He looked monstrous! His skin was translucent and deathly pale and his gaunt face bore a haunted look. A dark cloak was draped over his skeletal corpse-like frame, but it was those inhuman snakelike eyes that had sent a shiver down his spine. However, his hair, like his own was very dark as if it'd been dipped into a bottle of ink.

Voldemort found the horrified expression on the boys' face amusing. Harry caught onto this and masked his frightened expression into something impassive – he'd perfected this look at the orphanage. He inhaled and broke the awkward silence.

"Yes sir," Harry confirmed confidently, "You have a very – ah, lovely home. And I'm very grateful for the room you so generously loaned to me. If there's anything you'd like me to do for you –"

"Actually there is," Voldemort stated, giving the boy a calculating glare. Harry gulped. The man obviously did not like being interrupted.

"It has come to my conclusion that you possess a great deal of talent and power…"

"Me?" Harry asked confounded. He sunk deeper into his chair as Voldemort gave him another disapproving glare; the man _seriously_ didn't like being interrupted.

"Sorry but…" he began uncertainly, "How can _I_ be powerful? I'm only a kid!"

Voldemort flicked his wrist and conjured two cups of tea; one for him and the other for Harry. Voldemort brought the cup to his both and savored the sweet taste before going into explanation while Harry stared at his untouched cup of tea cautiously.

"I wasn't aware there was an age limit for wizards to have talent," Voldemort raised an eyebrow. Harry blushed. "I was quite talented myself in my youth…But not even I have the gifts that you possess."

"What gifts sir?" Harry asked curiously.

"I suppose it's only appropriate of me to reveal these gifts of yours to you." Voldemort paused. "You are a Shadow Mage Mr. Potter. Very rare gift indeed, only few have been recorded throughout history and you may very well be the last living in our world.

"Shadow Mages are very powerful; they have the ability to blend in, travel, and manipulate one of the 4 natural elements of life: Wind."

Harry listened intently as the man explained and outlined the fascinating features of his 'gift'. He felt a sense of pride and achievement swell in his very being. To have something that no one else had, to be different and be set aside from the norm was something to take pride in. For the first time, he felt something he had yet to feel: being special.

However, there was one thing that still didn't add up.

"But sir…before last night, I've never experienced anything like it! How can I be able to have this _gift_ and not being able to use it half the time?"

Voldemort chuckled. "_Patience_…You have to train and build up your power of course. The more you train, the more powerful you can become and the more access you'll have to yield your powers."

"And how –" Harry began but was quickly cut off.

"I think we can help each other Mr. Potter," Voldemort smiled coldly. "You could be a very useful addition to my cause. And in return, I can offer you a place to call home. I can take you under my wing, mentor you, and guide you to your way to greatness…"

Harry thought a long while; this was the man that had attempted to harm or even kill him. Could he really be trusted? But on the other hand, he offered him great things – a home, greatness, and private tutoring. When he weighed his options, it was clear which was the better choice to take for the time being.

"Okay…I accept," Harry told him. "But there's more one thing…?"

"What is it?" Voldemort signed impatiently.

"What should I call you?"

To Harry's surprise, it took Voldemort a moment to give a straightforward answer.

"Tom." He spoke at last.

"Tom?" Harry asked, clearly puzzled by the randomness of it all. But when he looked up, 'Tom' was gone.

* * *

><p>"Do you have a report for me Lucius?" Voldemort raised an expectant eyebrow at the Malfoy Lord.<p>

Twenty Inner circle Death Eaters gathered in the circular darkly lit room for the monthly meeting that was being held. They were seated along the long table while the Dark Lord paced along the sidelines.

Tension was thick; the failed attack at St. Mary's House and the capture of two valuable Death Eaters had set the Dark Lord on edge and when the Dark Lord was on edge, _everyone_ was on edge. Anyone was at risk of being disposed of.

Lucius stood and bowed in the presence of the Dark Lord; he kept his composure and hid his fear in a cool mask of arrogance and superiority like only a true Malfoy can.

"Yes, my Lord," Lucius cleared his throat. "It appears that Gibbon and Jugson both remain in the custody of the Order in Azkaban prison. Sentencing is most likely leaning on lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban, though the Dementor's kiss is favorable among the board members in Wizengamot and the Auror office.

Alastor Moody, head of Auror office, is also prepared to install heavy protection surrounding Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and other nearby Muggle neighborhoods, including St. Mary's House under _Dumbledore's_ orders. That is all."

The Dark Lord sat in silence, deciphering the new information and gathering his thoughts before focusing on more pressing matters.

"Edevane, please tell why you felt it appropriate to lead _my_ Death Eaters on a rebellion against the Aurors that night?"

All present at the meeting turned to the tall but scrawny figure that was Timothy Edevane. He shrunk in his seat like a guilty school child and kept his gaze distant from the rest of the guests.

"I didn't –" Edevane gulped, "I mean I –"

"After I gave very _specific_ orders to apparate back to Manor after our mission was complete." Voldemort raved on in a deadly tone.

"I –"

"Was it your undying desire to feel on top, in charge, be a leader for the first time in your pitiful life that inevitably lead to your reckless behavior last night?" Voldemort challenged. "Or was it something _more_?"

When Timothy, who was visibly shaken, gave no answer, Voldemort smirked and began stroking his Yew wand.

"No matter what your objective was Timothy, I simply have no use for a servant who cannot follow simple orders nor respect the authority of his superiors," Voldemort turned to eye his prey hungrily, "And for that, my next action proves justifiable."

"My Lord –"

_ "Avada Kedavra!"_

The green light hit Timothy right in the chest killing him instantly. His corpse slumped to the ground with a thud and that was all that was left of Timothy Edevane.

"Dismissed." Voldemort announced. The Death Eaters neatly filed to exit out of the room save two who were yet to be excused.

"Bella, Rodolphus, _stay_."

Bellatrix and Rodolphus met their Lord with their presence and waited for him to propose a mission.

"I've spoken to your nephew earlier…" He spoke as if almost to himself. Rodolphus cleared his throat.

"My Lord, if there are any problems, any at all, Bella and I will take him out of you custody, we will take him immediately, I –"

"_Crucio!_" Voldemort hissed. He canceled the curse within a few seconds and gave a frosty glare. "Did I give you permission to speak Lestrange?"

"No, no my Lord –"

Voldemort unleashed another dose of the Cruciatus curse on Rodolphus, whose screams could be heard though out the Manor. When voldemort finally pulled out, he sat in silence for a few moments before continuing.

"No, I don't think that will be necessary…the boy could be brilliant one day, especially under my tutelage."

Both Lestranges exchanged a stunned look and gasp. Voldemort waved them off and resumed discussing his observations.

"It appears to me that the boy has an astounding amount of control over his magic. A credible achievement for one his age. And a shadow to top it off…" Voldemort paused. "I suppose what I am trying to say is that the boy is very useful for me.

"As I've expressed to many of you previously, I am in need of someone who could carry on my legacy, someone with potential to be an equal, something of a…heir I suppose…" the Dark Lord resumed again for special effect. "And I think he may be the one."

Rodolphus' eyes nearly bulged out of his eye sockets. Bellatrix blushed a deep scarlet color; her eyes welled with tears of pride. Her nephew; heir to the Dark throne. Perhaps there was hope for the future Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. There was talk about the old pure blood family going soft, almost light, thanks to the blood traitor Sirius Black. But with a Dark heir and future Dark Lord reigning from the Black family, nobody would dare speak such worlds again! The House of Black would become one of the most feared Wizarding families in Britain. And this was all thanks to her merciful Lord.

Voldemort inwardly rolled his eyes at Bella's show of emotions and the sudden mad, sinister gleam in her eyes.

"But only if he really wants it," Voldemort emphasized, "I have no use for an heir who is not so sure about my generous offers…"

"He wants it my Lord!" Bellatrix and Rodolphus exclaimed in unison, much to Bella's dismay. She nudged her husband and gave him a disapproving glare.

"Are you sure?" Voldemort asked.

"Of course my Lord, he was raised by a Black and the House of Black continues to stand beside you –"

"Is that so?" Voldemort questioned. "I was under the impression that the 'House of Black' was getting lighter which each generation."

Bellatrix was shaking with fury. Damn Black and his half-blood brats! She felt like paying her dear cousin and his filthy mudblood wife a visit to end their shameful line right then and there. But that would have to wait until later.

"Black was disowned ages ago, my Lord," Bellatrix pleaded. "Neither he nor his family represent our Noble House. Orion represents the House of Black and does he not show you anything less than loyalty?"

"And then he's also a Potter," Voldemort went on, obviously enjoying riling Bella up. "The son of James Potter – Auror, Order member, Dumbledore's right hand in leading the light."

"Harry has never met _Potter_," Bellatrix spat out the name, "Left my sister for that filthy little mudblood before he was even born!"

Emotion flickered in Voldemort's eyes, but only for a second before transitioning to its usual impassive gleam.

"He's still young, still gullible, easy to influence," Rodolphus added optimistically. "Potter abandoned him and Cassi and left him in that Muggle orphanage. If he doesn't hate the blood traitor already, I'll wager he will."

"Very well," Voldemort sighed. "Take the boy to Diagon Alley; he is in need of a wand. I'll be training him personally," he added eying Rodolphus and Bella's stunned expressions.

* * *

><p><em>Not the most exciting chapter but we're getting there; I want to build up the plot first but stick around for Chapter 4, which in my opinion, is the most exciting chapter yet! So tell me what you think! Reviews are VERY helpful; they keep me motivated and helps me become a better Author. I want to know what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong, and what you guys want to see for upcoming chapters! So don't be shy, your input is beneficial for the both us. :) <em>

**Ch.4**: **Mayhem in Diagon Alley**: Lestranges + Diagon Alley + Order/Aurors = _


	4. Mayhem in Diagon Alley

**_Previously_**...Harry meets with Lord Voldemort and makes a pact with the Dark Lord. Another life is wasted and the Lestranges receive a task from Voldemort: retrieve Harry's wand. But Lestranges + Diagon Alley + Aurors = _ ? You guessed it! _Chaos!_

I own Harry Potter. No, that was a lie. I don't ! -.-

:-(

* * *

><p>"Can I get a broom?" Harry asked hopefully, staring off longingly at the model brooms on display at <em>Broomstix<em>.

"No!" Bellatrix hissed impatiently, "We're here for your wand! Do you want to be trained by the Dark Lord, the greatest Wizard to ever live…" she trailed off.

"Well, yeah but –"

"Not another word!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. "Do you know what an honor it is to be chosen for training with the Dark Lord himself? The highest level! I wouldn't be half the witch I am today without His guidance…"

Harry tuned out his Aunt's manic ranting. He could hear about the 'greatness' of the Dark Lord from her any time he pleased. Aunt Bella had an obsessive hero worship relationship with Lord Voldemort. Harry thought it was creepy, but to each his own right?

Walking down the colorful cheerful streets of Diagon Alley, Harry was wary to the curious looks he and his company received. Aunt Bella, Uncle Rudy and his younger brother, Rabastan, who insisted on being called "Uncle Rab" were all hooded and masked. Aunt Bella walked beside Harry, while, Uncle Rudy and Uncle Rab walked several paces behind. Harry thought it was a bit odd, but he pushed it out of his mind and entered Ollivander's wand shop with Aunt Bella.

They had waited a long while for assistance and Aunt Bella's impatience had gotten the better of her. She took out her wand and took aim at the chandelier in the shop and casted the blasting curse; shards of broken glass flew everywhere. Harry was amazed by the scene of magic displayed by his aunt. Was this the magic he'd be learning?

Just then, an old man with silvery hair and an unusual sparkle in his blue eyes, whom Harry presumed was Ollivander, came bustling from behind the desk looking much violated.

"Well hurry up old man, we haven't got all day," Bellatrix snarled.

The old man gasped in revelation. "B-Bellatrix Lestrange," he stuttered out. "To what do I owe your service?"

: Bellatrix put an arm around Harry and smirked at the man.

"My nephew is in need of a wand."

"B-But Miss Lestrange," Ollivander gaped. "He's only a child! He's not ready!"

Bellatrix's amused expression quickly turned sadistic as she pointed her wand directly at Ollivander's neck.

"You dare refuse my service?" Bellatrix screamed in fury. She conjured a snake from the tip of her Walnut wand which attached to the old man's neck and snared him.

"Now we can do this the hard way! Or we can do this the easy way!" she exclaimed giddily like a school girl having a bit too much fun. _"Take your pick!"_

Harry watched on his Aunt wrenched the snake around the old man's fragile neck forcefully and dangerously; Ollivander's eyes bulged out of their sockets like a fish out of water and his natural fair skin was now a bluish color hinting on purple.

He wasn't sure how to react. Part of him felt sympathetic for the man like any decent human being; but another part of him couldn't help but feel intrigued by the power and magic that was being displayed. He'd hope that this was the kind of magic he'd be taught. Nobody would dare mess with him again! It was positively brilliant!

Ollivander eventually gave in, waving his frail arms pathetically indicating his surrender and hurriedly scattered around the unorganized aisles of wands, bringing dozens of boxes for Harry to try out.

"W-wand arm?" Ollivander stuttered out.

Harry raised his right arm and began tearing through Ollivander's collection of wands. He had nearly destroyed and wrecked half the shop until he found _it_: a 12 ½ inch elm wand with a dragon heartstring core.

"You did it ickle Harrikins!" Bellatrix cackled delightedly. As the paid turned to leave, Bellatrix aimed her wand once more at Ollivander and whispered, 'Obliviate'.

* * *

><p>"Aunt Bella, what is the magic you did on that old man?" Harry asked as they rejoined Rodolphus and Rabastan.<p>

"It's the beauty of 'special' Transfiguration." Bellatrix giggled gleefully. "Oh, just my good luck charm!" she added with a wink.

"Am I going to be learning that too?"

Rodolphus and Rabastan cracked up at that one.

"He's already interested in the Dark Arts!" Rodolphus praised.

"We weren't even that young when we immersed ourselves in the Dark Arts, were we?" Rabastan reminisced. Rodolphus shook his head.

When they were about to make their exit, a large crowd of people near Flourish and Blotts caught their eye. They were surrounded around an unpleasant family: The Potters.

Many magical signs of propaganda that could be read from above read:

'MASON POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE'

'THE CHOSEN FAMILY: THE POTTERS'

'SAVIORS OF THE FUTURE WIZARDING WORLD'

'JAMES POTTER: TOP AUROR FIGHTING TO TRIUMPH THE DARK ENEMY'

Harry felt as if he was going to be ill. There he was…the man who had abandoned his mother, the man who had abandoned him: James Potter.

Together, he and his new family stood on a platform basking in the praise and admiration they had received from the eager crowd. He had an arm around a woman with rich flaming red hair, who he supposed was Lily Evans, and she was carrying a small black haired boy that looked a lot James Potter with messy hair, light brown eyes, and smugness that could rival Draco, the Malfoy heir.

However, in the background of all the hoopla was another sheepish boy who stood behind Lily and appeared to be apprehensive and abashed by the large crowd of Potter fans. It took Harry awhile to realize it was the twin of Mason. The two weren't identical; Marc, the boy was named, seemed to be an even mix of Lily and James with a touch more of Lily. He had light brown hair along with his mother's emerald orbs.

_ His half-brothers. _

They looked like the perfect family. But did Lily know she ruined his family? Did she know about the family James so nonchalantly left behind?

Hatred and fury fueled Harry's body like never before. He wanted them to hurt, to pay for the hardships they made him and his mother go through.

And suddenly…flames of fire magically conjured on the platform. The same platform the Potters stood on. As they screamed, the deadlier and volumes the flames would become.

Harry looked over to his Aunt and two Uncles, only to find that they were just as surprised at the turn of events as he was. Their flabbergasted expressions quickly turned sinister; they grabbed their wands and casted blasting curses at all the propaganda.

_"Mordesmordre!" _

A large ghoulish skull with a snake protruding from the mouth paraded over the skies of Diagon Alley, stunning all those witnessing.

Their fun escalated to an even further extent when the two Lestrange brothers began attacking the by-standers in the crowd of Potter mania.

It was pandemonium!

Harry quickly ran over to a safe spot behind a barrel in the entrance of Flourish and Blotts and watched as the action continued. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed Bellatrix approach the Potters.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the blood traitor Auror," Bellatrix smirked amusedly. "Long time no see Potter. Aren't you pleased to see dear sister Bella?"

James sent her a look filled with contempt and disdain. "Get out of here you head case!"

"I see your manners haven't improved a bit from last time. I suppose I shall fix them for you!"

And the two engaged in a duel.

"Maximus Cranius!" The Dark curse that caused excessive swelling to the brain until it exploded and 'popped' like a balloon rebounded from James' shield and hit another citizen.

Too focused on his opponent to care, James fired off a number of spells; one to temporarily blind and a Jelly legs hex, both of which Bellatrix blocked with ease.

Bella sneered at the simplicity of it all. 'I'm trying to kill the fool and he throws a Jelly Legs hex at me?'

"Is that all you've got Potter?" she taunted nastily. "The almighty Light thinks they're too good – that they're above to doing any real damage do they?"

To heat up the duel, Bellatrix aimed one of her sharpest daggers directly at his face. While James struggled to summon the blistering dagger, Bella took this as her perfect opportunity to strike.

_"Sectemsempra!" _

She hit him on point with the lethal Dark curse that caused him to immediately collapse into unconsciousness as the invisible swords slashed and tore through his flesh repeatedly.

"That was from my sister you left for the _Mudblood_!" Bellatrix spat.

The line stopped Lily in her tracks but regardless, she rushed to her husband's side, pushing it to the back of her mind; for the time being.

Mason and Marc screamed their heads off in distraught at their father's condition while Bellatrix cackled merrily.

Lily glared at the mad sadistic woman, placed Mason next to his brother, and whipped out her wand, her siren red hair waving wild in the mist of travesty.

"You won't get away with that one you _bitch_!" She waved her wand in a slashing movement casting the Cutting Curse.

_"Lacero!" _

Bellatrix, stunned by the Mudblood's boldness, conjured a nonverbal shield a second too late; the shards from Lily's curse struggling to penetrate and break down the force behind the shield, one sharp piece breaking free, coming into contact with the skin on her right arm, drawing a deep shade of red blood.

Lily watched on in horror as Bellatrix swiped the blood from her arm and brought it to her lips, savoring the taste of her _own_ blood. Before she got the chance to strike again, Bellartix's face turned very ugly and sinister; she began firing off a volley of Killing curses aimed directly at her.

She had to duck to avoid the deadly curses and felt if she kept it up for a while; Bella would eventually grow weak, making it easier to capture the wanted convict. However, Bellatrix had a seemingly unlimited amount of magical capacity and didn't show any indication of slowing down anytime soon.

Beginning to panic, Lily eyed an impervious area near The Leaky Cauldron. Making a daring move, she grabbed her children and dashed off; running as far as her legs could take her. Unfortunately, Bellatrix was only too quick and hit her with a Banishing curse and with a 'pop' she disappeared and was sent elsewhere.

Unlike the traditional Banishing charms, this particular curse that Bellatrix seemed to be well adept in would take an exceptional amount of magic to summon her back to her original location. Lily could be _anywhere_. And the time it would take to summon her would be anyone's guess.

The twins who appeared lost and shaken caught Bella's eye, who contemplated on going after the rotten brats, especially the supposed 'Chosen One' who was destined to cause the downfall and defeat of her Lord. She decided it when Rodolphus alerted her about the Aurors that finally decided to make an appearance. Set to jet off, she had a nagging feeling that she was leaving something behind.

'Damn brat,' she thought viciously. 'I can get caught behind this.'

"Harry!"

She seen the tribe or Aurors becoming more visible and come closer, but Harry, who had come out of his hiding spot was nearer.

Relief washed over her. She grabbed the boy and prepared to disapparate but before she did, she decided to have a bit more fun.

"Comin' to get me?" she teased in her most childish voice. "HA!"

Out the tip of her wand, an enormous firestorm taking the shape of the Dark Mark roamed wild throughout Diagon Alley, devouring every shop, every building, and even daring witness who stood its path.

Harry, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan stood and watched as the brave Aurors struggled to carotene and contain the magnificent red flames that were destroying the rich and blissful town but to blistering failed attempts.

Harry took his Aunt Bella's hand and apparated back to the Manor, Rodolphus and Rabastan following in suit. With a 'pop' they were gone, leaving behind the crimpled remains of a town once known as _Diagon Alley_.

* * *

><p><em>So there it was. It was kind of short (the chapters will get longer, I promise!) but I hope it was fulfilling and exceeded your expectations. Bellatrix is my favorite character and I LOVE writing her, so I wanted to give her some time to shine and get revenge on James. I mean, he did leave her nephew in a Muggle orphange. Did you expect Bella not to go off? I enjoyed writing this chapter and adding new plots and I hope you enjoyed reading it as well. Like I always ask of you, I want some feedback, I want to know what I'm doing right, what I need to improve on and what YOU want to see in later chapters. So make sure you get your input in. :]<em>

__**Ch.5 Father Figure:** Find out the fate of James and Lily, see where Sirius is at in his life, Voldemort's reaction to the tragedy in Diagon Alley, and MUCH more next chapter! Stay tuned. ;-)


	5. Father Figure

_Previously**...**the Lestranges enter Diagon Alley and Harry receives his wand. However, what can you expect when you have the infamous Lestranges in Diagon Alley with the Potters? Chaos! Bellatrix attacks James, banishes Lily, and burns Diagon Alley to the ground. Read what happens next to find out their fate!_

* * *

><p><strong>DAILY PROPHET:<strong>

_**LESTRANGES STRIKE AGAIN; DIAGON ALLEY UNDER SEIGE**_

_Earlier this afternoon, Diagon Alley, epicenter for Wizards internationally, was under attack by known Death Eaters and wanted fugitives Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange. What was supposed to be celebration for the future of a peace and honoring the Wizarding world's heroic family, the Potters, soon turned into a gruesome battle scene. "The afternoon was marvelous," one witness recounts. "The Potters, classy as usual, answered questions and entertained the crowd and then all of sudden; this mass fire broke out on the same platform the Potters stood on! Everyone was panicking! And out of nowhere, the Lestranges pop into the scene and began attacking everyone!"_

_The infamous family, who has an reputation for their violent and unspeakable crimes, including the torture and disablement of respected Aurors, Frank and Alice Longbottom, injured and killed no less than 15 by-standers, one in particular, James Potter. "Lestrange especially had her eye on James. She provoked the duel between the two of them and left a number of nasty cuts on him. We thought he was a goner." While it certainly seemed so, our sources in St. Mungos exclusively reports to us that while his condition still remains critical, he is gradually making progress and is expected to make a full recovery soon._

_But the tragedy doesn't end there; Lily Potter, wife of James Potter and mother of the 'Chosen One, Mason Potter, was banished from the Wizarding community in Britain by Bellatrix Lestrange and her mysterious whereabouts remain unknown but the Order vows to work endlessly for her return. "We'll work efficiently to bring Lily back home," says Head of the Auror office, Alastor Moody._

_To add to the travesty, extensive damage has ravished the famed Wizarding alley, Diagon Alley, all done at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrnage another witness tells us. "The Aurors arrived and before they fled, Lestrange kidnapped a boy and unleashed this massive firestorm! Many people and buildings were caught in it all." Twelve people are confirmed dead, 5 of which were Aurors, and many more are injured or missing. Madame Malkins' Robes for All Occasions and Flourish and Blotts received the most damage, each burning to ashes, while numerous shops in Diagon Alley received varying degrees of damage. Construction is in order. [For more images and information, turn to A8]._

* * *

><p>Sirius Black threw the recent copy of the Daily Prophet aside and let out a low growl. He couldn't believe he was related to the insane woman on the front page, making headlines (again). He shook his head in disgust and wrapped a comforting arm around his very pregnant wife, Charlotte, who wept in his shoulders.<p>

"Everything is fine muffin," he said soothingly. "Prongs is a trooper, he'll pull through."

"All that blood!" Charlotte shuddered. "I thought we lost him."

Sirius sighed. "Yeah, well, that's my _dear_ cousin Bella for you." he stated bitterly before adding, "she likes to play with her food before she eats it."

"I can't believe you're related to that – that -"

"You think I'm proud to have any relation to that vile woman?" Sirius spat. "She's not any family of mine. You're my family, Ruben – even though the little guy can be a bit weird at times –"

"Or son is _not_ weird Sirius!" Charlotte sniped sternly at her husband.

"He's a great kid but he does kind of remind of Regulus or Orion in miniature and you know how those two turned out," Sirius replied warningly in a low tone.

"You're being paranoid," she concluded. "Ruben is wonderful; he'll will be his own person and make the right decisions."

"You're right, I'm being paranoid as hell," Sirius chuckled at the incredulity of it all. "But to get back to the point; you're my family, Ruben, and of course this little guy," he added tickling his wife's pregnant belly.

"Well that's good to know," she giggled while caressing her husbands' dark locks.

Sirius leaned in and pulled his wife into a passionate sweet kiss.

"Love you…" he whispered softly in her ear.

"Love you more."

* * *

><p>Severus stared down at the ungraded stack of <em>Potions<em> essays with a hint of disgust. He banished his empty cup of tea and brought out his infamous blood red quill for another late evening of grading papers like he did every night as he had no wife, no children, and rare occasions of social activity.

He sighed in distress upon reading the idiotic responses of his 1st year Gryffindor students.

_What is the result if a powdered root of asphodel is added to an infusion of wormwood?_

_ A chemical explosion (?). _

Severus rolled his eyes and began scribbling, in his definition, 'conductive criticism.'

_Do you care to listen to anything in this class you idiot boy? The end result of powdered root of asphodel added to an infusion of wormwood would produce the Draught of the Living Death, a sleeping potion. Explosion? Really? _

_ What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane? _

_ There is no difference. _

Severus smirked; while he knew this was slightly correct, he being the difficult Potions Master that he was, finding flaws came natural. Especially when grading a Gryffindor paper.

_Could you be anymore indirect? Your answer is not thorough, precise, has no base, and is furthermore, incomplete. Anyone could have come up with that cheap answer. The correct answer is that monkshood and wolfsbane are the same because they are ACONITE. _

He continued grading papers at a pace that fit him until he heard a knock at his door. He pushed his greasy black hair away from his face to get a better view of his visitor.

Minerva McGonagall, elegantly robed in emerald and a tall wizarding hat, waltzed into his classroom in a hurry.

"Severus, have you forgotten about the Order meeting this evening?"

"I wasn't under the impression that my presence was not requested." He drawled nonchalantly.

"Why yes, indeed!" Minerva replied importantly. "It's been a week since Lily's banishment and even with the best of Aurors we have yet to succeed in finding her. Even James has recovered!

Snape inwardly rolled his eyes.

"And I can only imagine what the little ones are going through," Minerva said sorrowfully. "They must be distraught.

Snape inwardly snorted.

"We need as much help as we can get! Albus is desperate Severus."

"Fine," Severus sighed in exhaustion. 'For Lily' he thought but kept to himself.

He followed Minerva out of the Gothic styled dungeon and into the grand eccentric office that belonged to Albus Dumbledore.

"Lemondrop," Minerva omitted the password to open access to the circular staircase that led into the Headmaster's office.

The usually peaceful office was buzzing with activity; every Hogwarts' professor was in attendance as well as the top 20 lieutenants from the Auror department scrunched into the small circular office. Both sides seemed to be astonished to find him anywhere out of his personal chamber in dungeons, let alone attending an Order rescue meeting.

"Didn't expect to be seeing _you_ here Snape," Alastor eyed him skeptically.

"Yeah, what brings you here Snivellus?" James Potter spat, earning several nods of approval from the Auror squad. "We all know you _never_ gave a damn about Lily."

Severus inhaled deeply to suppress his rising anger.

"For your information _Potter_," he paused to sneer at his archenemy, "My presence was _requested_ by the Headmaster himself. If you have an issue with that, take it up with him."

"Well maybe I will –" James started but was quickly interrupted.

"Gentlemen, please," Albus sighed in distress. "Rivalries aside, can we please just work together and focus our energy on the objective?"

Severus returned James' glare, but both men decided to drop their conflict for the time being and focus their attention on Dumbledore.

"Now as we have been doing for the past week, we will continue to make combined summoning charms."

"That hasn't exactly worked Dumbledore!" one Auror pointed out.

"Yes, but it's the only solution we've got," Albus responded solemnly.

"Raise your wands!" Minerva commanded.

Every wizard raised their wand and the room illuminated with blue sparks from the tips of their wands.

Severus closed his eyes shut and the only thought going through his head was, _'For Lily'_. Memories from yesterday and beyond resurfaced and raced hazily through his mind.

_Watching a cute little redhead play giddily in the great green grass from a bush in Spinner's End. _

_ "Hi, my name is Lily." Hearing her voice and her name for the first time. _

_ Holding Lily's hand while watching the lazy river. _

_ Boarding on the Hogwarts' Express for the very first time with Lily. _

_ Sharing their very first sugar rush together in Honeydukes Sweetshop 3__rd__ Year. _

_ "…Mudblood!" he screamed in anger and humiliation and later regret. _

_ Watching the tears fall from her emerald eyes to her tear stained face…_

End flashback.

There was a loud pop; the rest of the room, including Severus, took a step back as a figure with a human form materialized in the room. It was Lily!

Her usually calm expression read terror. Her hair was matted and tangled, her face marked with war paint and her clothes severed and covered in dirt. She looked as if she spent a wild week in the Amazon!

Regardless, Severus began to walk towards her when James rushed to her side to comfort his wife.

"Lily!"

"Oh, James!" Lily exclaimed in relief. "Thank God, you're here, I was so afraid!"

Severus stopped in his tracks as everyone in the room surrounded Lily. The man whose love that summoned his only true love from thousands of miles away in the Amazon Jungles of Brazil, wandered in the shadows before excusing himself from the room back to his dungeons and back alone by himself to wallow in his misery.

* * *

><p><em>One Week Earlier <em>

"It astonished me how I give you three one simple task and you manage to turn it into catastrophe." Voldemort said in a deadly tone.

Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan hung their heads in shame upon hearing the Dark Lord's evident disappointment in his tone. Normally, Voldemort would have praised their actions, but due to his weakened state, temporary downfall, and loss of two Death Eaters from previous events, he wanted to stay on the down low in the Wizarding world and focus on building his forces internationally so when he shall return in Britain, his Death Eater army would stand a far larger scale than ever before. And he couldn't afford the capture of his most loyal followers and his potential protégé. Their risky move was quite daring.

"Our apologies Master," Bellatrix whispered. "Our intentions were never to disobey or disappoint you. That is the last we'd _ever_ commit."

"Your loyalty has no bounds Bella, but do not deny it; your actions this afternoon were rather foolish. And for that you must be punished and reminded who is in charge. Wait in the dungeons for your punishment but before you do, _bring the boy_…" he commanded.

* * *

><p>Harry lay on his lush emerald four poster while petting Isis, the sleeping Taipan, who was curled on his chest. He replayed the day's events in his head; he'd seen his father for the very first time in flesh and he felt another surge of fury rush though him once again when he witnessed the man with his new family. The family he had replaced for his.<p>

His anger deflated and was soon replaced by excitement when he replayed the duel between Aunt Bella and James Potter. 'She got him good,' he thought, suppressing laughter. He twirled his new wand in his hands and wondered about all the incredible magic he'd learn from Tom. He was one step closer to becoming the powerful wizard he had vowed to become; his thoughts were cut short when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Bellatrix stuck her head in the door. "The Dark Lord awaits your presence."

"Err…why?" Harry asked curiously.

"I dunno why boy!" she snapped impatiently. "Hurry up! You wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

Harry scurried out of his room and made his way to the Dark Lord's study. It was hard not to get distracted by the many animated portraits lined across the walls and the moving staircases that took him in random directions until he eventually made it to Voldemort's (or Tom's) personal quarters. He knocked on the wooden door before letting himself in.

Voldemort's study was exactly how Harry imagined it; neat and quaint, furnished with oak bookshelves, a desk with piles and stacks of paperwork, and quite a few lush chairs. The room reeked of Dark Magic (though no surprise there). However, there was something missing…or so Harry thought.

"Have a seat," a distant voice drawled.

Harry looked around the room to see where the voice had come from; he mentally slapped himself across the face when he seen Tom rise from the dark emerald chair facing the window. He sat in another chair, making his appearance more visible and motioned for Harry to join him.

"You wanted to see me Tom?" Harry asked, taking the seat across from the Dark Lord.

"Yes, I did," he stated neutrally. "I wished to speak with you about your little bout with fire earlier today."

"That wasn't me Tom! That was Aunt Bella –"

"The _first_ fire," Voldemort emphasized. "The fire on the platform." He smirked as the child's grey eyes widened comically.

"That wasn't me…_was it_?"

"Yes it was you. It was _all_ you."

"But-but how?"

To say Harry was shocked was an understatement; how could he have ignited that fire? He didn't know any spells and he was only 5 years old. Things weren't adding up.

"Accidental magical of the most spectacular kind may I add. Your emotions seem to hold a tight reign over your magical capacity. It was your anger you have your father that fueled the fire." Voldemort answered knowingly.

"Oh," Harry said quietly with a slight blush.

"Do not be ashamed child. It is he who should be ashamed. You did nothing wrong." Voldemort assured him.

"You think so?"

"I know so child. After all, my childhood wasn't so different from yours. Quite similar actually," Voldemort told him. "My mother died after I was born and my fool of a father left me in an orphanage as well. Unfortunately, unlike you, I was never recued and I was forced to stay in that orphanage until I graduated Hogwarts'."

Harry looked up at the man sympathetically. And he thought he had it bad. He had to stay in an orphanage for two years. Tom stayed for his entire childhood. At that moment Harry felt a kinship between himself and the ruby eyed man.

Voldemort inwardly smirked; getting the boy to trust him was a piece of cake.

"What about your dad? Did you ever meet him?"

Voldemort laughed coldly before answering. "Yes, we met," he smiled. "Never again though. I avenged myself the day I met him just as you attempted with your father earlier this afternoon."

"I wasn't trying to kill him Tom!" Harry insisted. "I just wanted to make him…hurt…"

"Astounding how much you intrigue me Mr. Potter," Voldemort noted the irksome twitch the boy gave at being addressed by his surname. For a moment it was as if he were witnessing a younger version of himself.

"You remind me very much of myself. And it appears my suspicions were correct; you have potential to be great one day."

Harry could hardly contain his glee at the man's last words and Voldemort didn't miss it either.

"I have a deal for you boy. Respect my person and show me nothing less than absolutely loyalty, follow my lead…and if you _prove_ competent, I will make you my heir."

Harry's eyes widened in shock; the man was so generous! He was willing to give him a home, teach him, and make him his _heir_. But … did this mean…?

"If I'm going to be your heir," he swallowed, "Does this – does this mean I can call you…father?"

Voldemort, ready to vehemently deny the boys' suggestion looked into his pleading grey orbs. He wondered why on Earth the boy would look to him as a fatherly figure; but when he locked eyes with him, he remembered when he had once longed for a father figure in his life…perhaps it wouldn't be a dreadful idea after all.

'Besides,' he thought, 'having a father-son relationship with the boy would only cement his loyalty to me for good.' It was a worthy plan.

"Yes," Voldemort hissed. "I believe that would be inn order. I'll have Bella brew the blood adoption potion."

Harry's eyes lit up in delight. Without thinking, he jumped out of his chair and hugged the man; much to Voldemort's disdain and disapproval. Nobody had ever made such a gesture towards him (without getting shot down with the Killing Curse). But this boy was different.

"I won't let you down; I'll do my best and make you proud. I promise…Father."

After several moments of hesitation, Voldemort smirked and gave in to the hug.

* * *

><p>Sooo there's the latest installment, I hope you liked it. Did you guys really expect me to kill James so quickly? As much as I wanted to, James will become more relevant in chapters ahead so I couldn't get read of him so quickly just yet. Also, I wanted to give you a peak to see where Sirius is at in his life and I added the Snape interlude which IMO gave this chapter a whole new meaning and I'm really glad I wrote it. And speaking of Snape, many of you are probably wondering:<p>

_**Which side is Snape really on?**_

To answer, Snape is **NEUTRAL.** As I told another reader, Lily never died so he's not completely guilt tripped into going over to Dumbledore and Order; Lily is is still with James, his archenemy, which deeply bothers him so to rebel, he does have a certain extent of loyalty to Voldemort and his isn't totally on the Orders's side. However, he is still madly in love with Lily and he respects Dumbledore so he doesn't want to completely go on Voldemort's side either, so the whole thing is very conflicting for him (and me since I have to write his character). He will however have to pick a side late which gets me to the poll question:

_**WHICH SIDE DO YOU WANT SNAPE TO BE ON!**_

Tell me where you want Snape to stand. For now, he's neutral, but he's going to have to pick a side sooner or later. YOUR input is important so try to persuade me as best as you can to keep Snape light or to make him go to the dark side. Leave responses in your review and I will have a poll on my page so make sure you get your vote counted! :)

Ch.6 **The Tale of Cassiopeia Black** - Find out more about Harry's mother, Cassiopeia Black, and what _really_ happened in her and James' relationship in James POV.


	6. The Tale of Cassiopeia Black

_**Previously**_..._James survives, Lily returns to Britain from a wild ride in the Amazon, and Severus is heartbroken yet again. The Lestranges are punished by the Dark Lord for their outlandish actions in Diagon Alley and Harry is officially adopted by Voldemort as the Heir. _

* * *

><p>The gray cobblestone fortress that was the Potter estate, which usually spilled with energy and enthusiasm, was quiet and hollow and held an eerie vibe that was all but to be desired.<p>

It had been a little over a month since James returned from St. Mungos and prepared for recovery and three weeks since Lily returned from a wild week in the exotic jungles of the Amazon. Lily had been extremely relieved to have her family all in one piece once again; she had almost lost her husband and her children were in danger, especially Mason. The risk of losing them was too hard to bear. And that wasn't the last of her concern. There was something that Bellatrix has said that unspeakable day in Diagon Alley that had especially put her on _edge_.

"_That was from my sister you left for the Mudblood!"_

"Mum, when is Ron coming over?" Mason demanded while skipping down the majestic staircase, Marc following close behind.

"Later," Lily sighed exhaustedly remembering that they were expecting a visit from the Weasley family in a few hours. "I need to speak with your father; can you tell him to join me in here please?"

"Sure," Marc chirped while Mason pouted and responded by shoving Mason in the arm and huffing his way back to his room.

Lily groaned in defeat seeing the deteriorating relationship of her two boys and even more so of the line that repeatedly played in her head that she had yet to decipher. What did it mean? How did her James have any relations to Bellatrix Lestrange? Was James married before? And to Bellatrix's sister? She shook her head in disbelief, 'No! It just couldn't be – '

"Lilypad?"

Lily's head snapped up, her fiery red curls bobbing as she locked eyes with her hazel eyed husband, who was watching her with a strange expression.

"You feeling alright?" he asked uncertainly.

"No, actually I'm not okay," Lily said a little too harshly as the glass that was held in James' hand cracked and burst into countless pieces of shards. Usually Lily would have shrugged it off but this was a different matter; she wanted answers and she wanted them now.

"Figured," James sighed. "You have been looking a bit…distant lately," he said while eyeing the broken glass quizzically.

"Well, when were you going to tell me you were married before James?" Lily questioned, quickly getting to the point.

"What? I –"

"James, I'm _not_ stupid," Lily said shakily.

"Of course not! I never said you were!" James exclaimed, obviously offended. "Where is this even coming from?"

"I was there James! I heard Bellatrix!" Lily pursed her lips.

James stuck his hands in his pockets like a guilty schoolboy and inhaled deeply.

"I wasn't exactly married but I was engaged to Cassiopeia Black."

"And you couldn't tell me that from the beginning," she seethed.

"Lilypad, it wasn't as if I loved her or anything! Quite the opposite really," he admitted. "And what would you have said? You probably wouldn't want anything to do with me!" And from the look on Lily's face, it was a likely possibility no matter how much she'd deny it. "I didn't have a choice either!"

Lily snorted. "Oh really? And why is that?

"Cassi and I were born around the same time. Our parents made marriage arrangements around the time of our birth for us to be wed after graduation from Hogwarts. I had to follow through at the time."

"So the Potters do stress the importance of blood purity?" Lily smirked as James winced.

"No, far from it; we're not prejudiced nutters! Perhaps maybe mother, though she doesn't count; she was born in the House of Black. Historically, the Potters have been neutral in most Wizarding affairs. It was my mother who introduced marriage contracts into our family. _She_ was the one who insisted I wed her precious great niece."

Lily wrinkled her nose in disdain.

"And think about all that I had to sacrifice," James persuaded. "Didn't you ever wonder where I disappeared off to after graduation?"

Now that Lily thought about it…what did happen to James after the Hogwarts' graduation? She had finally warmed up to him and accepted his offer of courtship, however, quicker than the relationship began, she had very seldom seen him afterwards, especially after graduation, and when she did see him, he'd always appear like he had somewhere else to be.

"Imagine having to put up with a woman who was about an inch away from being as insane as her sister and her nutty crackpot family. Nightmare I tell you!" James shuddered reminiscing back to those awful intimidating meetings with the House of Black. "Imagine living in an illusion. Cassi pretended to care and be someone she wasn't, but when I found out she was just using my status in the Order to pass information to You-Know-Who, I broke off all ties and connections with her…

"Mother didn't take it too well," he admitted. "She made it a point to remove me from the Potter fortune and her life before she died."

Lily linked arms with her husband and gave his hand a tight squeeze. This was clearly a difficult subject for James to discuss.

"But James…" she started uneasily, "How could you not realize she was a Death Eater given all her connections?"

"You didn't know her Lils," James said in a hushed tone. "She may have been a nutter but she was pretty damn convincing and persuasive. She made a talent out of her cunningness."

"Sad," Lily sighed shaking her head, "And still out there doing her dirty work I suppose?"

"Nope; her role as a Death Eater was cut short. Remember Moody's firestorm a few years back at the Ministry?" James reminded her. "Well, she was one of the Death Eaters caught in it."

Lily gaped at her husband with wide eyes.

"Geez, what other bombshells do you have to drop on me today?" she asked jokingly while playing in his jet black hair.

James would've sighed a breath of relief at his wife's sudden bubbly mood (which meant he was out of hot water for now), however, her question had him reflecting back on a particular memory that pulled at his heartstrings.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

_November 23, 1979_

_James Potter Cubical, Auror Office, Ministry of Magic _

"So do you believe me now?" A visibly pregnant raven haired beauty flashed a sardonic smile, her grey eyes holding a mysterious glint. Her name was Cassiopeia Black, youngest of the Black sisters, with fine features that resembled a bit of her eldest sisters Bellatrix and Andromeda, and with Slytherin charm that guaranteed her everything she desired, except negotiating with the stubborn Auror, James Potter.

"Okay. And?" James replied evenly.

"And," she drawled. "I thought you'd might like to know that you're the father."

"Are you sure about that?" James asked doubtfully.

"Positive."

"Look Cassi, I don't have time to play your games. It's over. I want nothing to do with you!"

"Get over yourself, Potter," she sneered, her refined features turning very ugly. "This isn't about you, this is about my child. Granted we aren't close, however, I think you owe it to your child to be a father figure in his life."

"Are you nuts Cassi?" James stared at the woman incredulously. "Me, father Death Eater spawn? Me, father the child of the woman who…_tricked_ and _hoodwinked_ me?"

"Ah, ah, ah, but let us not forget Potter," she said wagging a delicate finger in his face while conjuring a lengthy certificate, "that you only agreed to this little 'relationship' of ours because of the marriage contract; you satisfied your mother for the time being," she smirked, "and I received my information. It was win-win situation so don't try to guilt trip me. It doesn't faze me."

"Okay, well let's see if this will faze you:" James looked her directly in her gleaming grey eyes. "You've caused so much damage in my life that I am still trying to repair. You're a lying treacherous snake and if you think that some kid is going to allow your wickedness seep back into my life you're even more delusional that I thought you were. I don't want anything to do with you – any part of you!" he stomped over to his door and opened it. "Leave!"

Cassiopeia smirked. "You'll regret it," she hissed before storming out of the regal office. James Potter never saw or spoke of her again.

xxx _End Flashback_ xxx

* * *

><p>"James!" Lily exclaimed impatiently.<p>

"Wh-What?" James slightly jumped, startled by being interrupted from his past memory.

"You scared me there for a minute," she told him with wide worried emerald eyes. "You had this dazed look in your eyes…it was weird…it was like you spaced out…"

James hesitated for a moment.

"_You'll regret it."_

But regret what? He knew the boy, Harry, he was named, was sent to a Muggle orphanage after the death of Cassi and he genuinely pitied the boy's unfortunate situation. After all, he was the innocent one in all this. But he didn't want to break up the family that he had now…the scandal and backlash it would cause. He was happy now with his wife, Lily, and his two sons, Marc and Mason, the latter who would need extra care, training, and attention due to his status with You-Know-Who. Perhaps it was better for the boy to stay in the orphanage, James concluded.

"Trust me Lilypad, my life isn't that interesting," he said planting a kiss on her cheek and giving the boy, Harry Potter, not another thought.

* * *

><p>I genuinely apologize for the short mini chapter! I didn't even realize how small it was until I compared it to the other chapters. I tried to add more but this is what I have for this chapter and I hope it is still as fulfilling as my other chapters. My main reason for this chapter was to give you, the readers, more information on Cassiopeia Black, her life, her death, and how the relationship of her and James blossomed and broke apart. You'll hear more about her later but I wanted to give you more essential details and I hope I achieved that for you. Again, I am <em>VERY SORRY<em> for the short chapter, and I promise that this is the **END** of the short chapters. Next chapter will be the longest and lengthiest chapter yet and I plan that the rest of the chapters will be much longer than the first few as the plot expands and there's so much more happening so make sure you stick around for those chapters as well! ;)

Make sure you answer my **_POLL QUESTION:_**

**WHICH SIDE SHOULD SNAPE RESIDE?:**

**DARK OR LIGHT! **

Get your vote in ASAP as I will be closing this VERY SOON!

**Ch7: The life of Marvolo Mortimer: **Sneak peak of Harry's new life; the extensive training that comes with being the heir, his instructors, his friends, family, and outlook of the Wizarding world.


	7. The Life of Marvolo Mortimer

**_Previously_**..._Lily is curious about James' relationship with Cassiopeia Black and confronts him on it. James reveals his history with Cassiopeia Black, the outcome, and promises a future with Lily and his family by his side, giving not another thought of the secrets in his closet that is destined to come out. _

* * *

><p><em>Three years later...<em>

"You're not focusing!" Voldemort, formerly Tom Marvolo Riddle, snapped one afternoon while training his heir the basics of intermediate wandless magic. "Do it again!"

"_Again_?" Harry pouted with slumping shoulders. "If I do this any longer I swear my brains will compound to mush! You don't want a broken heir do you?"

"If you even speak to me in that tone again, I'll break you myself and force you to put yourself back together!" Voldemort threatened in a low tone. "Again!"

Harry aka, Marvolo Mortimer, shrugged and rolled his eyes; if the slight glimmer of amusement that shone in his adoptive father's eyes was anything to go by, it was all talk.

Marvolo, who stood at 5'5 and whose handsome looks heavily resembled Tom Riddle in miniature, had that effect on people, most notably the Dark Lord and the most notorious Death Eaters, including the Lestranges, his Aunt and Uncles, and Barty Crouch Jr., who he considered a best bud.

To say Marvolo's life was structured was an understatement. He was to wake up every morning at 6 AM sharp for core subject training with Barty, former Ravenclaw scholar (who achieved to score 12 perfect O's on his OWLS exam – there is no doubting this guy is fucking persistent) and also arguably the most certifiably insane among the Death Eaters (after Aunt Bella of course). But it was Barty's classes that proved most entertaining.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

_May 13, 1988_

_Study Hall, The Dark Manor_

Harry curled his lip up slightly at the sight of the gray rat in front g him. Trust Barty to express his experimental side. _Literally_.

"Barty…" he began, "Are you absolutely positive this is _sane_?"

"Why of course _Young Master_," Barty replied sardonically. "After all, your father, my Lord, wouldn't have given me the privilege of putting his heir in my tutelage if I wasn't in healthy mental state."

Harry grabbed the left over rat's tail that lay across from his table and threw it at Barty, who crumpled into fits of laughter.

"I already told you Barty, it's _Marvolo_, not Young Master," Harry rolled his eyes in annoying for having to repeat this same line for what seemed to be the one millionth time. "And I highly doubt it's my well-being that Father is worried about. I'm stuck in a room with Aunt Bella for 3 hours a day and she's even twice as nutty as you are."

"Fair enough," Barty shrugged.

"So," Harry picked up the giant rat by its' tail, "What have you got for me today Crouch?"

"You are going to transfigure that rat into a block of cheese," Barty answered mischievously with a customary grin.

"Yeah, and how the hell am I supposed to do that?" Harry asked dully.

"Patience," Barty chided before aiming his elm wand at the gray rat. He flicked his wand swiftly in a motion similar to that of a hook and the fat gray rat was replaced by a block of cheddar. Harry's eyes gleamed hungrily at the sight of the slab of cheese. His hand was itching to grab a slice, but before he could make another move, the gray rat took form once more at the flick of Barty's wand.

"Wha – No fair!" Harry protested.

"Follow my wand movements," Barty instructed.

Harry followed intently because he was hungry for a challenge. When he was confident that he had mastered all the correct movements, he aimed his wand at the rat and flicked.

But the end result left all but to be desired. A rat contorted into the shape of a cheddar cube wasn't his ideal of appeal. But Barty seemed to find it all too amusing.

"I should make you eat that crap!" he rasped out of break from his own laughter.

Harry scowled.

"In all seriousness, you can't just flick away with your wand and expect something," Barty explained incredulously. "Try again, but this time, focus on the cheese; picture it in your mind. It's much easier."

And that's what he did. Once he projected his mind to cheddar, his results greatly improved until he finally produced a perfectly transfigured cube of cheese.

"About time!" Barty exclaimed while cutting the block of cheddar in two, giving one to Harry and saving the other for himself. "That's more like it!"

Harry gratefully accepted the slice of cheese and brought up something he'd been meaning to say.

"You know what Crouch? I've come to a revelation."

"And what is that?" Barty said with a stuffed mouth.

"You're not that much of a _nutter_ as I thought you were."

xxx_ End Flashback xxx_

* * *

><p>After lessons with Barty, Harry was taught the fine art of weaponry and the Dark Arts by none other than Bellatrix Lestrange herself (who else were you expecting?).<p>

While underneath the crazy that was Barty, there was a true comrade. Underneath the insanity that was Aunt Bella was exactly that…more insanity.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

_December 23, 1986_

_The Dungeons, The Dark Manor_

Can you honestly say with a straight face that you've felt afraid for your life in one of your lessons? If you don't have Bellatrix Lestrange as an instructor, you're probably bluffing.

Aunt Bella was a bloody slave driver! Imagine having to dodge magical searing knives aiming at _your_ face.

"Pick up the pace!" Aunt Bella demanded from across the room while throwing out more deadly knives like Halloween candy.

Harry scampered all around the room to avoid the lethal knives that seemed to have bonded to him like a magnet. Why was his Aunt pelting knives at him you may ask? (The obvious reason of the fact that Aunt Bella is _insane_) To improve his reflexes so he'd be ready in duel and battle. You may think heirs get special treatment (which is sometimes true), however, when you're the Heir of the Dark Lord, you're expected to be the best, and to be the best, you have to train twice as hard as everybody else and then same. Not only did you have to grow balls, but grow balls made of steel.

And Aunt Bella seemed to be most passionate and eager in whipping his ass into shape.

"Your pace is slow and your reflexes are choppy," she frowned. "Let's see if you can handle _this_!" A diabolical grin plastered over her face as she drew out her wand and began shooting out suffocation curses.

Harry dodged the volley of curses and created an impressive protective shield to avoid further contact with the hoard of knives and dark curses sent his way. He'd never moved so fast in his adolescent life. The scene looked straight out of an action film.

However, right when he felt a twinge of confidence, he skidded in the wrong place at the wrong time and he wasn't quick enough to deflect the knife that seared through his left arm.

He fell to the ground immediately afterwards and cradled his wounded arm. He cautiously pulled out the 6½ dagger that was buried deep into his left arm socket and let the blood trail down his fair skin. He hung his head down in shame; to Harry, failure was much more painful than anything.

To his genuine surprise, Aunt Bella strode over to where he was slumped, bent down, and lifted his chin so his grey eyes met her big dark hooded eyes.

"Don't fret," she told him sincerely before giving her customary smirk. "You're not as pathetic as you were before."

She healed his wound, stood, and glared down at him expectantly.

"Well hurry up, I haven't got all day!" she nagged, her usual grouchy attitude coming back full force.

"What?" Harry stared at her dubiously. "You're making me work after all of that?"

"Why of course!" she exclaimed gleefully. "After all, what do you expect from 'mad Aunt Bella'?" she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a pointed glare.

If it was possible, Harry's mouth would've fallen to the ground. All that went through his head at that was moment was, 'I am so going to kill Barty after this'.

_xxx End Flashback xxx_

* * *

><p>If you couldn't already pick up on it, lessons with Aunt Bella were pretty brutal, but useful. Harry could proudly say he was proficient in the Dark Arts, had neat aim, and pretty kick ass reflexes. He could take on any lower ranking Death Eater at the tender of 8 and stand his ground with higher ranking Death Eaters as well. The class came with its benefits.<p>

So after being mercilessly tortured by Aunt Bella for 3 hours, Harry enjoyed spending his free time block playing Quidditch with his cousin Drack Malfoy, heir of the Malfoy Clan, and the scions of the House of Black, Aries and Arcturus Black.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

_June 17, 1987_

_Foyer, The Malfoy Manor _

"What is taking them so bloody long!" Draco bellowed impatiently with an immature pout on his childish face.

Harry, who stood next to his ill-mannered cousin in the foyer of the Malfoy Manor, Comet 360 in hand, took a step back as he noticed his polished and pristine, but very agitated Aunt Cissa ready to tell off her imprudent son.

"Language, Draco!" she scolded.

"I've seen snails move faster!" he continued defiantly.

"Draco Abraxas Malfoy," the tall handsome blond Lord of the Malfoy Clan enunciated while raising a platinum blond disapproving eyebrow. "Are you causing a scene?"

Draco, shamed by the disapproved tone in his father's voice, stared down at his shoes and meekly muttered his apologies.

"Do Malfoys' ever cause scenes and behave in such reckless manner, Draco?"

"No father," Draco answered, still staring blankly at his shoes.

Lucius nodded. "Keep in mind that if you want to carry on the legacy that is the Malfoy Clan, you must always carry yourself like a Malfoy," he lectured before waving him off dismissively. "Very well."

Draco's face blushed a scarlet color and he turned his back to Harry to avoid eye contact. They remained silent until the Blacks' finally graced them with their presence.

Orion Black, present day Lord of the Ancient House of Black, member of Wizengamot, Hogwarts board of Governors, and one of the Death Eaters cunning enough to dupe the Ministry and escape Azkaban, along with Lucius Malfoy. To add to his name, he was also the eldest brother of the famed Auror, Sirius Black, who had been disowned from the House of Black ages back.

Like his brother, he was impressively handsome with flawless dark hair and a movie star smile. However, it was the proud pure blood's arrogant stature, air of smugness and superiority, and the regal luxurious robes Orion had adorned that truly set the two brothers apart.

Accompanied by his wife, the radiant blond, Valda King, heiress of the noble pure blood King family, and their two sons, Aries and Acturus, legitimate heirs of the future House of Black, the pair also had identical Comet 360 broomsticks attached to their hip.

"Cissa!" Valda greeted Narcissa with quick friendly kisses and smothered Harry and Draco with hugs and kisses.

"They're growing up to be such handsome and respectable young men," she gushed.

"Quite right," Orion agreed, turning to the Malfoys'. "You two must be proud. Aunt I'm sure Cassi is proud of her young man as well." He added with a wink at Harry.

Harry and Draco exchanged a look of satisfaction and puffed their small chests out with pride at the praise.

"As are your two lovely sons," Narcissa responded in return. "Draco, go show your guests around the Quidditch pitch."

"Will do," Draco chirped and eyed the two boys who were still attached to their parents' side. "Well come on then!"

The quad of boys left the adults to discuss the mechanics of their newest project, the publication of _The Legacy_, a wizarding newspaper covering current events, promoting pure blood ideology and propaganda by Lucius and Orion, and monarch lifestyle and gossip by Narcissa and Valda.

As the four boys finally reached the Malfoys' state of the arc Quidditch stadium, three mouths dropped open in awe of the magnificently huge Quidditch pitch furnished with complete circular full set of rows that wrapped around the Quidditch field that could go on for days.

Draco smirked triumphantly.

"Amazing isn't it?" he bragged arrogantly. "It was built by Abraham Malfoy in 1952. The Quidditch World Cup was hosted here in 1825."

"Wow…" Harry's voice echoed throughout the stadium.

Draco was the first to speed off on his Comet and test the air.

"Well don't just stand there." Draco shouted from his broom, "Join the fun will you!"

Harry jumped on his Comet and flew through the breezy air with ease; from the sky, he noticed Aries had seemed skillful as well, though Arcturus was a bit rusty.

"Come on Archie, we haven't got all day," Draco teased.

"We haven't even started a game," Harry joined in.

"Stuff it you two," Arcturus grouched irritably. "Now how are we playing this game?"

"Harry and I against you are Aries," Draco told him. "Winner gets 50 galleons."

Aries and Arcturus exchanged a look of glee.

"We're in!" they said in unison.

"Excellent," Draco flashed a winning smirk before turning to Harry, "I'll be Chaser, you be the Seeker."

"You got to be Chaser last time," Harry scowled.

"And we won last time with that format!" Draco persuaded him. "Look, you're the best Seeker I know, and I'm the best Chaser. Besides, I don't have 50 galleons but I could use some," he replied with a wink, "How about you?"

Harry chuckled at his cousin's Slytherin charm. "Excellent."

"Picked your positions have you?" Draco asked turning to the Black brothers.

"Sure," Arcturus confirmed. "I'll be Chaser, and Aries is a pretty good Seeker."

"Okay then, get in your positions!"

Harry flew to the top of the Quidditch arena to view and observe every inch of the pitch and the game. Aries was quick to catch on and tailed behind him. Using a trick Father had taught him, he blended his right hand with the harsh wings and with proper technique and control, he gravitated the wind towards Aries, who became tangled by the sudden wind storm that came his way and fell several feet behind.

Harry laughed and watched on as Draco dunked the Quaffle into the hoop, scoring another point for their team, bringing their total score to 50 points. He welcomed the fresh breeze of air like a warm blanket spread over his body and relished in the sweet gifts of the winds. He decided he'd hunt for the Snitch until scored at least 50 more points to cause major defeat. However, the currents changed, the winds grew harsher, and Harry witnessed Arcturus making an incredible block and racing to his hoop to enthusiastically through the Quaffle in. The remarkable recovery brought their score up to 30 points. Only 20 points ahead.

Draco gave Harry a pained expression of fury and failure that screamed for extra assistance. To retaliate, Harry got serious and kept one eye out for the prize and the other out for the lurking Seeker. Though the rays from the beaming sun occasionally gave false hope, Harry was sure of the golden glimmer that fluttered above his intense grey eyes. From the look on Aries face, Harry was positive he hadn't missed it either. But that didn't make him any less determined. Besides, he had his own bag of tricks.

He pushed his Comet upward, the intensity of the beaming sun and horrid winds, making it hard to see and blocking necessary air pathways, but still, he carried on. Reaching two hands forward, using only his legs to support his balance and direction, he created a small force of wand that was strong enough to force the Snitch in a downward spiral.

Harry inspected Aries' puzzled reaction before pressing downward on his Comet in what would be an impressive dive for the win.

Aries quickly caught on and railed behind Harry until he was riding his bumper. The Black Seeker was slim, quick, sharp, and fit all of the necessities that came with being an in tune Seeker. Harry realized that it would take a little more effort to shake this one off. He made an abrupt stop on his Comet and Aries took the opportunity to speed in front and face him.

"Cold feet _Mortimer_?" he taunted giddily before racing after the Golden Snitch once more.

Harry shrugged off the dig. 'No' he said to himself. 'But you will.'

Picking up speed, he stroked the neck of his broom as if he were stroking a wild horse, and dashed after Aries. At the brim of his broom, Harry sped closer so they were side by side. Aries clenched his jaw tightly, his arrogant expression turning hostile.

Harry responded with a wink while pressing all of his pressure on his right of the broom to making a repetitive swirling movement around the fellow Seeker. Generating varying amounts of wind around Aries; the pressure became too overwhelming for Aries. He struggled to keep composure and stay on his broom, but the longer he held on, the harder the challenge became and he eventually had no choice but to forfeit. He released his grip from the Comet and fell into the shallow air until his fall.

Harry swiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and smirked triumphantly. Now that that was out of the way, there was only one task left. And it had to do with the glimmering Golden Snitch that fluttered above his head. With his right hand, he enclosed the Golden Snitch safely into his balled fist and the game was over. 380 to 50.

Draco was the first to congratulate Harry when he strode back to the open field (by pummeling him to the ground). Arcturus looked scorned as Aries struggled to make it to their direction with a limp leg and mouthful of grass and dirt.

"I guess we underestimated you two," Arcturus confessed evenly.

"Yeah," Aries agreed while spitting out a chunk of dirt. "Not bad…_for rookies._"

"Well, I'll have you know –" Draco began shortly, but fell silent after Harry nudged him sharply in the ribs and gave him his customary piecing glare. Draco had a lot to learn, Harry concluded, one of the most important being to not allow others to affect you, and even further, to not show it.

"It looks like we're the winners here and the losers have to pay up," Harry stretched out his hand expectantly and Draco followed suit. At that moment, both cousins knew that they were not only a team, but a force to be reckoned with.

_xxx End Flashback xxx_

* * *

><p>Aries and Arcturus eventually came around and spent their summers from Hogwarts' facing Harry and Draco in extreme Quidditch tournaments at the Malfoy Quidditch stadium.<p>

The Legacy, garnered fans and critics alike; well received by those in wealthy pureblood family circles, the controversial publication also received backlash from those on the light for the heavily pureblood propaganda content and engaged in a feud with the Daily Prophet since the first release. Nevertheless, The Legacy gained widespread popularity throughout and even began printing internationally throughout Europe. They Malfoys' and House of Black rejoiced at their success and profits made from the newspaper which propelled them to an even _new_ scale of wealth, fame, and prestige.

Harry enjoyed his time with the Malfoys' and Blacks; he looked at those families and had once secretly envied them. Not for their fortune and success, but for they were the epitome of a family that he had always wanted. They may not always get along, and perhaps Uncle Lucius and Orion were a bit too strict and uptight but Harry remembered when he once wished he could be a part of families as such.

But Harry no longer had such desire to be a 'Malfoy' or a 'Black'. He proudly represented the House of Mortimer and admired his ruby eyed scholar adoptive father who introduced him to this life and trained him in everything from Occlumency, Legilimency, Dark, Wandless and non-verbal Magic, Dueling, Arithmancy, and even improved his Shadow Mage skills. His father may not be the most patient, caring, or compassionate man, however, Harry still had a great deal of appreciation for the man who adopted him and gifted him with a new outlook of life.

He was no longer the introverted child at the orphanage with a shallow future. That was Harry Potter. That was yesterday. Today, he was Marvolo Mortimer; the confident young Heir of the most feared Dark Lord in centuries.

_And this was his life..._

* * *

><p>(AN): Cheers to my FIRST full length chapter! Let me just say that just chapter was a MONSTER to complete. I wrote my first couple of chapters months back (September 2011) but once I got to this chapter, I had such extreme writing block that I shelved it for a few months until I had renewed inspiration and motivation to come back and complete what I started. This chapter, I wanted to give the readers a view of what Harry's life is like being the Dark Heir, his social circle, and introduce some new characters that will be important later in the story! Again, like always, tell me what you think of my latest installment, give me thoughtful feedback, tell me what you want to see in later chapters, and of course, don't forget to participate in my Poll Question:

**SNAPE: DARK OR LIGHT?**

**CH.8** - _The Zombie in the Cupboard:_ Harry and Draco sneak into a private Death Eater meeting but what happens when they run into a Zombie? Stay tuned next week to find out. ;)


	8. The Zombie in The Cupboard

_**Previously**...Fflashback of Harry's new life as his Alter Ego, Marvolo Mortimer. _

* * *

><p>The next time Harry opened his eyes; he was shaken and covered in sweat after escaping a vivid nightmare that involved himself and too much blood for his liking. He threw the sheets from his four poster bed off of his body to check if there was any blood just to be sure, but there was none in sight. This did not settle him. Instead, he sensed this as an omen of tragedy coming near but before he could give it anymore thought, Isis hissed indicating that she was awake.<p>

"Marvolo, are you alright? You look pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Isis asked, still concerned.

"I just had a bad dream, that's all," Harry shrugged it off.

Isis wrapped her long scaly body around Harry's chest and Harry tightly held on as he drifted back to sleep. The warmth of Isis's presence provided him comfort like a mother comforts her young. Like his mother.

* * *

><p>7:27 AM<p>

Harry threw on a beige sweater with matching cashmere slippers and styled his shiny jet black air in a fashion that highlighted his handsome features and made the mature look achievable. This was his routine every morning; before trailing the maze of hallways to make it to the Dining room for a healthy breakfast and greeting the on duty Death Eater guards.

However, this morning in particular left Harry's mouth dropping to the floor when he entered the spacious Dining room. Here was his father, the Dark Lord, sitting there devouring a mouthful of eggs. Harry had no idea his father still relished on such human like activities. Even in rare occasions when his father joined him for morning breakfast, he never helped himself to any delicacies of meals.

"Father, what brings you here?" Harry asked while talking a seat right to his father and inspecting the meal that appeared on his plate; two large round pancakes sprinkled with syrup and sugar, fluffy scrambled eggs, freshly baked Wizarding bread, three bacon strips, with mint tea on the side. 'Yum!'

"I, too rely on human necessities to survive, though not as much as the average person," Voldemort explained neutrally.

The two ate in silence for several moments until Voldemort spoke again.

"You're probably wondering what is on your schedule for today." Voldemort said almost to himself.

"The usual, correct?" Harry said as he took another sip of his tea.

"Actually, the contrary; I canceled all of your classes for today –"

"Sweet!" Harry exclaimed in a failed attempt to conceal his excitement.

Voldemort raised a disapproving eyebrow.

"I mean, darn!" Harry avoided his father's glare and stared at his plate before glancing back up at him flashing an amused smirk.

Volmdeort did the same in return. "I am hosting a very important meeting later today in which your instructors are required to attend."

"Can I attend as well?" Harry asked hopefully.

"You can attend these meetings only when you are ready," Voldemort told him in a dismissive tone.

"But I am ready!" Harry protested. "I know I am!"

"You are ready when I say you are," Voldemort said with a note of finality in his voice. "Lucius and the Malfoy heir will be arriving shortly," he announced as he evaporated their (unfinished) plates. "Make sure the two of you find something to do and keep yourselves out of this meeting or suffer the consequences."

Harry dismissed himself from the table and instead of locking himself in his personal Quarters of the Manor, he made his way to the garden; when he wasn't getting lost in the green masses of the environment that held so much treasure, adventure, mystery. If you explored the garden deep enough, you'd engulf the marvels of the great forests, the animals, and their interaction with nature, and the turquoise river that expanded throughout the forest. Inhaling the sweet scent of nature and running his hands through the river currents, he felt a deep appreciation for the beauty of innocence.

Abruptly, he turned his attention to the furtive sounds that crept closer to him. He stuck his hands in his pocket and held onto his wand just in case he needed it. When he heard a twig break and nearby footsteps crunching the leaves, Harry took out his wand and fired.

"Confringo!" A ring of fire shot out of his elm wand and hit a branch which fell the forest floor, quickly followed by a familiar shout.

"Take it easy you brute!" Draco Malfoy appeared from behind a tree trunk, kicking the dead tree branch from out of his path, his signature sneer plastered on his face.

"Don't sneak up behind me next time!" Harry exclaimed.

"I wasn't sneaking up on _you_!" Draco protested loudly, evidently offended, but the guilt on his face was clear. "I was just…_taking a stroll_!"

"And get your hair dirty Malfoy?" Harry teased.

If there was one thing Harry knew about his cousin, it was highly unlikely that any Malfoy would be taking a stroll in any forest.

"Shut up!" Draco blushed. "I've got no idea why you spend your time _here_, of all sorts!" he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"It's cool." Harry said simply.

"Cool?" Draco said dubiously. He muttered a few other choice words under his breath but Harry never caught onto them.

"So are you allowed to go to the meeting today?" Draco asked.

"No," Harry sighed in defeat.

"Me neither," Draco said, secretly relieved Harry wasn't invited either. "But I've got a plan; how about we sneak in?"

"My father said no Draco, there's no point in disobeying him."

"And you listen to everything your father says?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"You're the one to talk!" Harry barked. "And you don't?"

"True," Draco whispered while shrugging his shoulders.

"Besides, disobeying my father means trouble for the both us. Your father surely wouldn't be pleased for the both of you to be on his bad side."

Draco flinched at the threat but agreed nevertheless. The pair continued their trek through the forest; there was slight awkwardness as Harry could sense Draco staring at him.

"What?" he demanded.

Draco pointed to his nose. Harry followed on and was alarmed as he realized it was moist. He brought his hand to his face. Blood. At that moment, more and more blood oozed from his nose, drenching his clothes and making him feel a bit woozy.

"Are you alright, mate?" Draco asked a little concerned.

Harry conjured a handkerchief from the sky (much to Draco's amazement) and used it to aid his traumatic bloody nose.

"No Draco, obviously not!" He took off running back to the Manor, Draco shouting and running after him. When the two made it back to the Manor, they heard chatting and footsteps coming near. In a panic, they sought out the closest room to them and a hiding spot. They found a cupboard in the circular room they took cover in and jumped inside. They soon regretted that decision as Death Eaters filed in and eventually the Dark Lord.

They had front row seats to the Death Eater meeting. And they were stuck in them.

Harry and Draco took turns peeking out of the cupboard hole, observing the Death Eaters meeting. They watched as the Death Eaters kissed the hemming of the Dark Lord's robes and resumed their positions.

"Rise my loyal followers," Voldemort hissed softly. "It gives me great pleasure to say that I have risen once more and we shall rule again!" The Death Eaters rejoiced. "During my unfortunate downfall, there has been very fortunate outcomes in need; I've tied and renewed alliances with numerous Ministers and Ambassadors in the Magical communities all over Europe – Russia, Germany, Bulgaria, Spain, and France to name a few. The werewolves and Giants have renewed their alliance to the Dark, and those stubborn Vampires have finally found their way…" he paused for effect. "In other words, our forces are stronger than ever."

The Death Eaters cheered and applauded. Harry and Draco silently cheered also. The Dark side was far more powerful than it had been in the last war; perhaps there'd be a change of events this time around. All Harry knew was that he'd stand by his father no matter what.

Before Voldemort continued, he levitated a sickly pale man with rags as clothing and body as thin as rail to the long wooden table. "Friends, behold Dedalus Diggle," he announced. "For those of you who don't know, until recently, Mister Diggle's occupation included being a common nuisance in Diagon Alley but also _spy_ for the Order." Voldemort practically spat in disgust.

The Death Eaters shouted slurs and obscenities at the frail man whose dark eyes flittered with fear; even Harry and Draco formed ill opinions of the helpless victim. Harry, because he held nothing but contempt for anything associated with the side who had failed and abandoned him and opposed his father, and Draco for he swallowed the pure blood ideology passed down from his father; plus he was a Malfoy, born to reside loyalties to the Dark and a natural enemy of the Light.

"Please," the man rasped. "I'm no spy! Have mercy!"

"But as you know, I have no mercy for no one and very few are fortunate to escape my wrath," Voldemort told him musingly while caressing his Yew wand. His blood red eyes locked sharply with Diggle's dark brown ones. "Tell me, why _you_ should be any exception."

"I-I can help you!" Diggle pleaded desperately.

"How so?"

"The Order – they're planning an attack on your Manor!" Diggle exclaimed.

"When?"

He froze. "I-In a few weeks."

Voldemort's customary smirked transformed into a hauntingly vicious grin. "Liar." He stated simply.

"Please!" Diggle yelped. "I tell no lies!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry and Draco gasped simultaneously as the man's dead corpse fell on the long table. They didn't realize how loud they were until they caught a glimpse of every attendant at the Death Eater meeting staring at the cupboard they were hiding in. Harry locked eyes with his red eyed father, who surprisingly didn't look angry, but rather…amused.

Harry didn't like that look one bit. Knowing their gig was up; both boys turned the handle to exit, but only to no success as they were locked inside out. They attempted to get out by force, banging on the cupboard door and pushing all their weight to force the door open, but it wouldn't budge.

Voldemort smirked at their failure. 'The damn brat and his cousin dare disobey me?' he mused. 'Well let make this moment memorable.' He raised his wand. "Inferious," he whispered.

Almost immediately, the Inferi (Zombie) that was tucked away deep into the cupboard awoke from centuries of rest to haunt the living; Harry and Draco slowly turned around, only to find a large, ghoulish zombie creeping near them. It laid a decayed hand on Draco's shoulder, which triggered panic and fear in both boys.

"MUMMY! FATHER! HELP! IT'S GOT ME! IT'S GOT ME!" Draco screeched, "I'M DYING! IT'S KILLED ME! HELP! I'VE BEEN MURDERED!"

Lucius and Narcissa exchanged fearful glares with each other and shot the Dark Lord pleading looks, which went ignored. Voldemort was enjoying the disobedient boys' pitiful screams. After a full three minutes, he flicked his wand and the door went flying open, revealing two terrified boys and a zombie.

Draco tripped over his two feet and fell on the ground, weeping and twitching convulsively. Lucius, slightly embarrassed by his fellow Death Eater's amused glances and stifled snickering, rushed to his son's aid and carried him out of the room by his collar. Narcissa grabbed her nephew's hand and followed Lucius out of the meeting room. Harry took one last glance at his father's furious face before flooing over to Malfoy Manor.

* * *

><p>Narcissa tucked her nephew in bed and glanced fearfully at him before leaving the room. It wasn't safe for Harry to return to the Dark Lord's Manor that night. He was likely to be tortured – or even worse! Narcissa had promised her little sister, Cassi that she'd look after her son if anything had happened to her. The guilt she had felt when she was denied custody of her nephew due to her and Lucius' association with the Dark Lord and poor little Harry was sent off to an orphanage. And a <em>Muggle<em> one at that. She didn't even know…she'd always felt it odd that Harry was living within such close proximity with the Dark Lord. She thought that he should be with family; Draco could do with another child around; it'd be all for the better and of course she and Lucius would welcome him with open arms; they'd be fit to raise him.

When she expressed this idea with Bella, she vehemently disagreed and insisted it was an 'honor' for Harry to be taken under the Dark Lord's tutelage. Lucius agreed with his wife but he wouldn't dare make his opinion vocal to the Dark Lord, so he wasn't much help either. Instead, she just had to deal with it, but she'd keep her sister's promise and observe with open eyes and keep her nephew safe. She'd be there when he needed her.

XXX

Lucius flooed back to the Riddle Manor; most of the Death Eaters had since left, except for Bellatrix, the Lestrange brothers, Barty Crouch Jr., and a few of the other incredibly insane Death Eaters, all of whom had permanent residence within the magnificent Manor.

"Ickle Lucius," Bella sneered in disdain before skipping off to her private quarters. He silently growled at the sight of her. How could his perfect, pristine wife be related to that nutcase? He would never know but his thoughts were cut off when the Dark Lord requested his company.

"Lucius…" Voldemort drawled.

"Yes, my Lord?"

Voldemort looked at him expectantly. "Well? Where is the boy?"

"Marvolo is sleeping now Master. Cissy thought it'd be a good idea to for him to stay over for tonight."

"I don't think that will be necessary Lucius."

"Perhaps it'd be a good idea if he stayed with us for the night – to keep him out of your way."

"Why Lucius? Why must I always have to drill the simplest of requests in that pea brain of yours?" Lucius whole face reddened. "I told you that won't be in order, now bring the boy back."

"Yes My Lord; right away." He gave in, slightly startled by his Lord's tone. He ignored Bella's snickering, indicating she had eavesdropped on the entire conversation, and flooed back to Malfoy Manor.

XXX

"Marvolo, wake up!" Lucius demanded.

"But whyyyy Uncle Lucius," Harry whined.

"Your father insists," Lucius said neutrally.

Harry shot out of bed; he was wide awake now. "He-He's not mad is he?"

Lucius looked now and inhaled, refusing to meet the child's eyes. The Dark Lord was made alright, but he wasn't going to let Harry know that. He was already in hot water with his Master and he didn't need to slip in his good graces even further. The faster getting Harry to cooperate, the better.

Narcissa paced around the room, giving her husband disapproving glares each step he took. Lucius, fed up, dismissed Harry and had him wait in the foyer.

"What did you want me to do _Cissy_? The Dark Lord's word is law."

"I don't know. _TRY?_" she spat at him.

"I did try and it didn't work," Lucius said through clenched teeth, growing frustrated with where the conversation was going. "What is to be gained by defying him? I'm not asking for a death wish dear." He slightly winced at the glare she gave him. "Relax Cissa, I'm sure Marvolo will be fine. The Dark Lord won't kill him."

"Are you sure?" Narcissa scoffed, unconvinced.

"Of course I'm sure. He's his Heir. Why would he kill him?"

"The Dark Lord is insane; he's a mad man. Nobody knows what he'll do next!"

Lucius sighed. "Sure you don't mean that dear. Besides, Marvolo is in much more danger staying here; The Dark Lord would fetch him eventually. And what would that mean for us? I know you care for your nephew but trust if I knew Marvolo was in any danger, I would fight for him." He leaned in to kiss his wife's forehead. "You know that, don't you Cissy?"

Narcissa slowly shook her head and offered her hand to her husband. Together they walked down the steps giving their nephew their last goodbyes and sent him on his way back to the Manor.

Traveling by Floo still left Harry woozy and when he landed flat on his bottom to the Dark Manor, the first thing his grey eyes locked with was red.

* * *

><p>I sincerely apologize for the late chapter. I was infected with the worst fever I've ever experienced and I've been constricted to my bed all week. I'm feeling a bit better now, plus I'm on Spring Break (yay!) so I'll have more time to write and organize my ideas. This chapter is a bit shorter than my last one, sorry about that, but I with my illness, I wanted to post at least something up and I hope it's just as enjoyable as last or even more so. As I always ask of you guys, leave feedback, I love all it, I read it all, it motivates me. Make sure to participate in the <em><strong>Poll Question<strong>_ or even submit an interesting poll question for me that you'd like the readers to get involved in. :))))

**Ch.9: Never Give a Dog a Bone**: Harry's punishment revealed, new character interactions, and first duel between Light and Dark. STAY TUNED. =]


	9. Never Give a Dog a Bone

_**Previously...**Traveling by Floo still left Harry woozy and when he landed flat on his bottom to the Dark Manor, the first thing his grey eyes locked with was red._

* * *

><p>Harry felt a chill run down his spine as he fearfully watched his father pace back and forth, eying him like a hungry predator eyed its prey. Harry wanted to scream and grab the hem of his father's dark robes and beg for forgiveness but the gleam of fury in his crimson red eyes seemingly paralyzed almost all of his muscles, preventing him from making any sound or movement like his body had been frozen to stone.<p>

"I give you a home, I've taught you how to build your skills, molded you into an even _better_ wizard, and offered you training from my own wealth of wisdom, experience, and power and _this_ is the respect you repay me?" the Dark Lord questioned icily still pacing back and forth with his arms crossed behind him.

Harry allowed a hot tear to run down his pale face as his father continued to scold and lecture him.

"I expect nothing less than loyalty and respect at all time, even from my heir," Voldemort went on. "Disobedience shall not be tolerated here and it's time you'd know your place.

"Perhaps you've gotten a bit too comfortable you have forgotten what is expected of you as my heir," his father spat out. "Or perhaps I've gone a bit too _easy_ on you."

"No matter," Voldemort said, his grave tone abruptly brightening as his face wrinkled into a sinister smile. "This shall be settled tonight."

"Ple-" Before Harry could pour his apologies out, an orb of bright blue light formed from the tip of Voldemort's wand and blinded his vision until the brightness dimmed into the dark.

* * *

><p>The warm, plush sheets of the four posted bed that Harry became accustomed to did not invite him that night; instead the rough gray walls substituted the absence for the night. The cold breeze in the dungeons chilled him to his core; not even the brightly lit fire in the fire pit brought him any warmth as he knew of the many Aurors and incompetent Death Eaters who were eaten alive by the same fire. It was one of the many torturing tools used to dispose of the prisoners in these dungeons. And Harry knew very well the rarity it was for a prisoner to escape the dungeon alive.<p>

While struggling to regain consciousness, Harry realized his clothes were damp and drenched in sweat and the light provided by the fire pit revealed his chained arms and legs that attached him to the walls. He attempted to use his Shadow Mage powers to 'slip' through the chains and free himself but to know use as his magical energy was at an all-time low. Harry accepted that he'd be here for the night as punishment for his disobedience and so to prepare for the long night that was ahead of him, he rested his eyes as a last resort but a sharp pain in his brain disrupted his sleep and for his extreme discomfort, the pain only intensed until his brain felt like it was splitting in two. His blood felt like it was (literally) burning underneath his skin. His high pitched screams filled the entire dungeon as his internal torture progressed and by the time Harry felt like crawling over and dying than suffering through the pain, he felt a splash of water come into contact with his skin which he was grateful for as his skin's burning sensation and overall pain decreased.

Harry leaned his weak body against the wall and battled to restore his shortness of breath. Though his brain was still boggy, he swore he saw a black shaggy dog in the corner of his eye. He stuck a feeble arm out in the dog's direction and received a low growl in response.

"Dirty mutt," Harry muttered groggily.

"Bark!"

"And what are you going to do about it?" Harry taunted.

In response, the 'dog' morphed into an equally shaggy bony man with unkept black hair, worn robes, and appeared not to have bathed or shaved in weeks. Harry compared him to a less refined version of Orion Black. But it was his eyes that struck Harry more than anything else. They were his own grey eyes. And the moment they locked eyes, Harry knew exactly who those grey eyes belonged to.

"_Black_. Sirius Black." Harry said coolly.

Harry knew all about the disowned Black; how he became the first and only member of the House of Black to sort into a house other than Slytherin – and Gryffindor of all places – befriend James Potter, fell madly in love with a girl of inferior blood, and ultimately shunned his family to fight for the light and gave a new meaning to _blood traitor_.

"That's me," Sirius replied while eyeing Harry skeptically. "And who are you kid?"

"Roman," Harry told him. "Roman Lestrange."

Roman Lestrange was another alias created by Harry to conceal his identity. To strangers, he was Roman Lestrange, son of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. It wouldn't be wise to have word spill of the Dark Lord's heir until formal introductions were absolutely necessary.

"Bella's?" Harry nodded in confirmation. "I didn't know Bella had a kid…Doesn't seem like the maternal type at all." Sirius stroked his beard still eying him suspiciously.

"As if _you_ would know," Harry bit back defensively.

"I guess I wouldn't know," Sirius chuckled. "So what are you in here for kid?"

"None of your business!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Defensive little guy aren't you? _Definitely_ the offspring of Bella and Rodolphus." He cracked up at his own joke.

Harry waited until Black quit laughing to ask another question. "So why'd you help me out?"

"You've been screaming and knocking yourself out for like 5 hours man," Sirius shrugged. "We have to get some sleep too."

"We?"

Sirius moved aside to reveal 3 other sleeping captured Aurors, two of which Harry identified as Emmeline Vance and Elphias Doge. Harry looked back up at Sirius and smirked.

"You could've saved yourself so much trouble if you hadn't abandoned your family."

Sirius' playful mood was replaced by a sharp and stern expression.

"I didn't abandon my family; I was taken away from them. My family is at home waiting for me."

"No!" Harry said frustrated. "I mean your true family – the Blacks."

"True family?" Sirius crackled in laughter. "Deranged fanatics who get a self-esteem boost over a goddamn family tree and their pure blood lineage crap, the lot of them. They like to stick their noses down on those with less 'pure' bloodlines and disassociate themselves from those of us who are rational and think for ourselves!" he spat bitterly.

"And what makes you think you're so much better?" Harry argued feeling his anger elevate while listening to Sirius rant about his family. "What makes them wrong?"

"What makes them right?" Sirius bellowed. "What makes the path you're going worth fighting for?"

Blemish of pink crept on Harry's cheeks indicating that he was startled by Sirius' abrupt change in tone but he refused to step down.

"You know nothing about me Black," he told him quietly. "You haven't got a clue where I'm going."

Sirius eyed him through his hooded grey orbs with a mixture of skepticism and intrigue before speaking again.

"I supposed I spoke too quickly,"

The two sat in silence for a while, the only sound coming from the crackling of the fire in the fire pit that illuminated their faces in the darkness of the dungeons. Harry knew he shouldn't probe the disgruntled man any more than he had but there was one last thing he was dying to know.

"Do you –" Harry started uncertainly. "Do you miss them – at all? I mean, do you ever still wish you had a place in the House of Black?"

Sirius' expression darkened and his face contorted into one of deep thought. Harry almost thought he didn't hear his question until he heard Black clear his throat and tell his story.

"To be honest, I did," he admitted. "When I was younger, I always knew I was different – and so did everyone else. Back then, my relationship with my family wasn't as estranged as it is now but I was always the outside who wanted to fit in.

"Being sorted into Gryffindor sealed the deal and eradicated any chance of my being 'converted'. I knew I would never be the perfect son my parents expected of me like Orion or Regulus, but at that moment I realized I didn't want to be.

"Becoming a Gryffindor was sort of my way of unconsciously rebelling against the House of Black and becoming my own person and embracing that. I was sort of adopted into a new family who accepted me for who I was when my so called _real_ family alienated me for it.

"One of the sayings the House of Black sates is 'blood is thicker than all'" Sirius gave a wry smile, "How can that be true when they'll disown you simply for having a different ideology?"

Harry stared down at his slippers in attempt to avoid Sirius' eyes and organize his own conflicting thoughts. He didn't think any less of the House of Black, the family his mother was born into, but even as Sirius went on bitterly denouncing his former family, Harry did agree with his last statement to a degree.

"Probably not the answer you were looking for," Sirius shrugged without a trace of regret. "But I fight for what's right and if the House of Black doesn't accept that then so be it."

And with one last yawn he morphed back into his aniamagus form of the large shaggy black dog he had made his debut in, putting up the final barrier between himself and 'Roman Lestrange'.

Harry knew Black was still the enemy and when the time came, he'd have to face him in combat and battle, but even he noticed the uncanny resemblances between their stories; abandoned by their natural families and adopted by others who accepted them as they were. Like Black, Harry was firmly loyal to his cause and there was no question which side he was on. It was too late to turn back now. And if that meant destroying the Potters and the Light, then so be it...

* * *

><p>The distance sounds of footsteps and jingling keys stirred Harry's foggy brain and awoke him from his rest. Cracking his left eye open a margin, Harry caught a view of his Aunt Bella, clothes in her usual darkly layered gown with his mass of tangled matted black hair sitting on her head, muttering foul language under her breath and assaulted one of the prisoners with her black militant boots, which earned a miserable groan from her victim.<p>

When Harry heard the sound of her boots coming nearer to himself, he shut his left eye and pretended to be fast asleep by the time she was facing him. But to his surprise, there were no whips or beatings received; instead Aunt Bella unlocked the chains that clutched to his arms and legs but made no further attempt to save his fall when he plopped on his bottom.

"You dropped me!" he accused.

"You dropped yourself," Bellatrix smirked at her nephew while twirling a piece of her hair with her wand. She then took her wand and ran it across Harry's forehead back and forth.

"Your magical energy is extremely low…almost squib low," she murmured. When she caught Harry's horrified face she added, "Temporarily".

With a flick of her wand, she conjured a vial containing an icy cold grayish substance.

"What's that?" Harry asked, hesitantly cautious of drinking anything that came from Aunt Bella when he was in trouble.

"Drink it!" she demanded impatiently. "It helps restore your magical energy. If you won't drink it, I'll make you," she threatened with the vial in question positioning itself at his throat.

Harry grabbed the vial and devoured the substance before suffering any further consequences. Besides the bitter aftertaste, he felt a tingling sensation in his face and fingers, which Aunt Bella assured him was normal given his condition. After she left, Harry sat on the gray floors scribbling pictures in the dust.

* * *

><p><em>5:26 PM<em>

_October 14, 1988_

_Auror Office, Ministry of Magic_

The Auror Office had been busier than ever. Mad Eye Moody, Head of the Auror Office, ordered all Aurors on duty, including members of the Order for their upcoming mission of penetrating the Dark Manor, residence of the Dark Lord.

James Potter sat stone faced as the crazed Moody barked out more directions. His mind was numb thinking of the possible outcomes; his fear of finding his best mate dead at the hands of the Dark Lord and more innocent heroes fall victims of the Dark side.

"Potter, yeh listening?" Moody shouted.

"Sorry, can you repeat that?" James asked.

"You'll be leading Team B to the dungeons; your mission is to find and retrieve as many of Aurors taken prisoner. I'll lead Team A and we'll fight off as many Death Eater scum and try to capture some if we're lucky. We'll give you enough time to rescue the prisoners and use Portkey transportation to Blackwell's cottage. We'll follow you afterward.

"Field A is coming with me; Potter, you take Lupin, Kingsley and Brown and remember – defend, but do not engage in combat. Your main task is to rescue the prisoners, not engage in unnecessary battle that could cause more injury and headaches for us. Understood?" Moody's mechanical eye swerved manically to observe his small army. "Well let's go men!"

Since the small army of Aurors would transport themselves to the Dark Manor by Portkey, Team B's Portkey came in the shape of a book since they were a force of four while it would take 5 Portkeys of various objects to get Moody's 20+ army of Field A to their destination.

"For Padfoot!" James pledged. The others joined in and rested their palms on the Portkey and with a 'pop' they were off to the Dungeons.

* * *

><p><em>5:58 PM<em>

_October 14, 1988_

_Gardens, The Dark Manor_

James was first to land face first in the magnificent green gardens. He spit out a chunk of dirt mixed in with grass and tended to his throbbing head when Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Anthony Brown followed behind him in that order landing in their own random positions.

"Are you guys alright?" James used his authority to check on his fellow Aurors.

"Why yes James, I'm great right now," Anthony commented sarcastically. "I just landed head first going nearly 100 MPH and I'm doing just swell!" The pudgy brown haired man gave James a dirty look before storming off while clutching his head.

James responded with an equally dirty stare; Brown had been a thorn at his side since he moved into his cubical at the Aurors Office. The pugnacious man would never miss a chance to make things harder for him and beat him while he was down. James convinced himself Brown's unfounded animosity toward him had all to do with his nonstop promotions at the Auror Office and fame within the Wizarding community. _What else could it be?_

"We're fine James." Remus assured his pal with a comforting slap on the back, Kingsley nodding in approval.

Feeling a bit more confident, James took it upon his authority as leader to pick up the pace and lead Team B to the Dungeons. The group made their way out of the gardens and near the grand medieval styled Manor that hid behind garden. The bright red security beam that circumnavigated the entire Manor stopped the foursome in their tracks.

"Look at this," Anthony threw up his arms in frustration. "We'll never make it through!"

In contrast, Kingsley stepped up to volunteer maintenance to the security beam; after a few moments of scribbling an unrecognizable code on the security portal, to all of their astonishment, the red beam turned to green and verified their entrance.

"I wouldn't be so negative next time, Brown." Kingsley told him patting the shoulder of the awed Auror.

"Outstanding…" Remus marveled at Kingsley's work. "How'd you do it?"

"We captured Avery last month," Kingsley confirmed. "It was tooth and nail trying to get information out of him but we eventually got a few leads including the updated codes to the Dark Manor."

"Wonder what got him to budge," Remus wondered aloud.

"Truth serum is a very useful tool," Kingsley said with a wink.

"Let's wrap it up men; we have a mission to complete!" James called as he sauntered off ahead of the rest of his team. When the rest of the Aurors caught up, they sneaked along the edges of the Manor until they found the barred window of the underground Dungeon. Using an advanced Severing charm, James sliced the metal bars to make an entrance.

"Remus, you stay up here with Brown," he ordered while conjuring a rope. "Hang onto to this rope – we'll need it once Kingsley and I finish rounding up everybody."

James followed Kingsley sliding down the rope and into the dungeon.

_"Lumos."_ On cue, both James and Kingsley conjured lighting assistance to their wands as the Dungeon was pitch black in terms of darkness, making it extremely difficult to navigate.

"Sirius!?" James yelled. "Emmeline? Elphias? Dedalus? Can you hear me?"

James' heart skipped a beat when he heard a distant murmur. "It's me! James! You're going to be fine, tell me where you are?"

"Fire!"

James dashed quickly throughout the Dungeon, Kingsley at his heels, to find any sign of a fire. When he caught sight of orange flames that wrapped around the corner of the Dungeon hall ahead, he raced over to find what was around that corner. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the illuminated faces of Sirius' aniamagus form, Emmeline Vance and Elphias Dodge.

"James, Kingsley!" Emmeline and Elphias gathered the little strength they did have to graciously greet the two Aurors.

James caught the eye of his best friend who stood frail and thin but within seconds they embraced each other like long lost brothers.

"I thought we would never make it out," Sirius cried in his shoulder. "A piece of me died man, I nearly accepted I would die here."

While James offered Sirius his full support, he eyed the figure of a boy who crept in the shadows. He had never seen the boy before but when their eyes met, James felt a wave of nostalgia come over him. He knew those eyes; he had seen them before, but where? And even more startling was the rage and hate the boy's grey eyes held. He watched as the boy crept closer and rested his hand on the Emergency button.

"No!" James shouted. "Don't do that, you don't want to do that!"

"I don't?" the boy smirked.

"Why would you do that?" James reasoned. "What do you want? I can help you, you can escape from here!"

"Why would I do that?" the boy asked incredulously. "And more importantly, why would I use _your_ help Potter?"

Sirius wiped the tears from his eyes and put a hand on James shoulder to prevent him from replying. "That's the offspring of Bella and Rodolphus, the kid is already messed up as it is. No need arguing with him, it's a waste of time. Let's get out of here."

"Good luck with that!" The boy in question squeezed the alarm, setting off a blaring siren which undoubtedly alerted every single Death Eater guard in the Manor.

"RUN!" Sirius bellowed.

James gave the brat a harsh glare before taking off. While rescuing the remaining prisoners was successful, Moody's team would probably have a lot more to worry about with the Death Eater forces alerted. And to add on to the problems, the fire from the fire pit had begun to increase. The orange flames began to play catch up, devouring much of the Dungeons content to get a taste of flesh. The smoke blurred much of the scenery but they couldn't stop because the firestorm trailed after them persistently.

When they found their exit, James and Kingsley aided Sirius, Emmeline and Elphias up the rope and to safety.

"Get out of here!" James shouted. "Use the Portkey!"

Remus tossed one of the Portkeys to the prisoner victims and with the help of Brown, assisted in pulling James and Kingsley from out of the Dungeon, which lay in ruins after being rippled by the firestorm. After pulling James and Kingsley from safety, Team B clutched onto their Portkey and escaped right in time before the Dungeon exploded in bits.

* * *

><p><em>8:41 PM<em>

_October 14, 1988_

_Marvolo's Quarters, Wing F-9, The Dark Manor_

Little did those Aurors know, Harry escaped the firestorm as well using his Shadow Mage capabilities. For lack of wand, he used elemental magic to conjure the firestorm and even though it probably did more damage to the Dungeon than Potter and the rest of the Aurors, it made their job a lot more complicated and cleared the way for him to get his wand and participate in the battle.

When he burst into his personal bedroom, he headed straight for his dresser where he left his elm wand, knives and daggers. Before he left, he found a silver mask similar to the one Death Eaters adorned to conceal his identity. It wasn't there before but he had a clue that it was left there for a reason. So he placed the mask on his face and marveled at the fact that it was a perfect fit.

Prepared for battle, he ran toward the main wing of the Manor where the Death Eater vs Auror battle was taken place. He slid down the staircase to arrive to the main event quicker; he watched on in amusement as the full 60+ Death Eater defense force took on the small 20 something Auror army. He spotted Aunt Bella snaring two Auror members at a time, the Lestrange brothers took on 5 Aurors at a time in a heated battle and were still able to hold their own and the Carrows using fire tactics to push back a significant portion of the Auror force. In general, the Death Eaters made the Aurors look like rookies but it was Harry's turn to make his debut.

He eyed the glass chandelier directly above the army of Aurors with curiosity.

_"Confringo!" _The chandelier exploded into thousands of pieces of glass which crippled the Auror squad to a further extent as the glass wounded much of their force in varying degrees.

The team of Aurors stared at Harry with a mixture of shock and horror. How could this _boy_ cause such a blow to their defense?

Harry smirked underneath his masked and seized the opportunity to cause more damage to the sinking ship that was the Field A Auror squad. He showed off his proficient skills in the Dark Arts shooting off a volley of Dark curses at the Aurors and used his Shadow Mage skills to cover all parts of the field and defend himself from getting hit.

He fought alongside Demitrius Sterling, a loyal follower of his father who had fought in the First Wizarding War on the side of the Dark and Lord of the Sterling family. He held his own against 3 Aurors but took a hit to his right arm which weakened him greatly.

"PLASMA!" Harry retaliated by shooting off a skin melting curse at the Auror's face causing the man scream gravely as his good looks melted away and the face that was left was skull like and deformed.

Three other Aurors who witnessed the account shot disarming spells at Harry which went to no use when they went right through him as Harry was quick to transition into his Shadowy form blending in with the still air. He reappeared to his physical form in time to check out the stunned faces of the Aurors.

To create a spectacular finale, he conjured a gigantic cylinder shaped roll of medal in the middle of the battle which was decorated in sharp edged knives. He rallied the Death Eaters to put their efforts in moving the cylinder to push the Aurors back and off the property. Certain Death Eaters like Aunt Bella proved to be difficult as they wished to continue toying with a few fragile Aurors but participated in the effort in the end. While there were few unfortunate Aurors who were shredded to pieces by the unstopping metal cylinder, most of the Aurors were grateful to make their way to the Portkey and escape to avoid any more damage than they had faced that night.

* * *

><p><em>11:24 PM<em>

_October 14, 1988_

_Black Residence, Blackwell Cottages_

Albus Dumbledore called a mandatory Order meeting following the events of the Auror mission at the Dark Manor. Out of the 23 Field A Aurors, 14 were in attendance as the rest were in St Mungos struggling for their lives or dead. Sirius Black had donated his dining room for the event and the long table stretched out to fit the nearly 30 chattering Wizards in attendance.

"Silence!" Albus raised his palm and magnified his voice to silence the chattering and bring order to the Order. "Moody, tell me in your own words what happened tonight."

"Well, we were shooting for a secret attack on the Manor," Moody explained while adding a pointed glare at James. "But some alarm of sorts alerted their forces."

"I told you Moody that had nothing to do with me nor was it my responsibility," James gritted out through clenched teeth. "Some – some kid pulled down the trigger!"

Severus, who sat at the end of the table near Albus, internally cheered as he watched Potter being questioned and the pressure it put on him. 'About time someone did it.' It appeared the man had been so used to being complimented and praised that even the smallest of criticisms that rarely came his way got under his skin.

"Was this the same kid that was at the battle?" Mudungus Fletcher asked.

"Couldn't be," James sighed. "It's impossible he made it out of the firestorm in time."

"I wouldn't put that behind him Potter," Daniel McDougal commented. "The kid has an impressive talent."

This sparked more debate within the Order but once again, Albus put up his palm to restore silence and order in the meeting.

"I'm afraid that I haven't been informed about this child." Albus said.

"He single handedly took out most of Field A," Moody told him "Couldn't believe my eyes, I've never seen a kid with so much power, let alone adults!"

"Are you sure this is a child we're talking about?" Minerva McGonagall chimed in her thoughts.

"I met him," Sirius volunteered. "His name is Roman Lestrange – Bella and Rodolphus' kid. Looked no more than 13, should be in Hogwarts."

"A _Lestrange_?" Moody emphasized. "No surprise there."

"'Should be in Hogwarts?'" Lily said horrified. "No Death Eater child should ever be able to step foot into Hogwarts for the safety of our children and especially Mason."

Severus inwardly flinched at Lily's tone; this was just another sign of the woman he loved changing for the worst in his eyes.

"Death Eater seeds will be sprinkled all over Slytherin house in the next few years," Sirius announced solemnly. "Malfoy, Rosiers, Carrows, Mulciber, Sterling, Lestranges – even Orion's children will be starting in a year or two."

"And you can bet that if this Lestrange kid is getting trained in the Dark Arts, the rest of the Death Eater spawn are as well," Sturgis Podmore reasoned. "Trust Lucius and Orion would find a way to have their children to participate in such activities."

His sentiments were awarded nods of approval and applause.

"Yes, I think it's in order to keep an eye open for certain students in future school years," Albus agreed. He then turned his attention elsewhere. "Severus?"

"Professor?"

"Have you seen this child around before?"

"This is my first time hearing of him." This was a lie. Severus had heard of the rumors of a child being taking under the tutelage of the Dark Lord but he had seen no proof of this to believe it.

"Sure he hasn't." James caught on muttering sarcastically.

Severus replied with his signature sneer but had no time to engage in smart talk when Albus encouraged the two against it.

"Severus, try to find out as much as you can about the boy," Albus told him. "Try to come into contact with him, talk to him; this could prove to be important in future missions."

Severus had increasingly lost faith and support in the Order but still maintained loyalty to the wise elderly Wizard in front of him. Though he could care less for the Aurors and the Order, a part of him still didn't want to disappoint Dumbledore.

"I will."

* * *

><p>(AN): Here is the long awaited Chapter 9. This was a monster to write but I'm happy to be back and have another chapter up for you since it's been about 5 months since updating. Please tell me what you think about this chapter and what you expect or predict to happen next time in later series. _Also_, I'm going to be doing something new this week:** I want you to tell me which chapter you would like to read next!** Of your choices, **The-Boy-Who-Went-Missing**: Dumbledore explores the past of Harry Potter/Marvolo Mortimer or **Unforgivable**: Harry gets updates from Draco from Hogwarts and learns the Unforgivable (Killing, Imperious and Cruciatus) curses from Lord Voldemort. Make sure to participate: **YOUR** input is much appreciated and needed in my writing process! :)

**CH: 10** - _?_


End file.
